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4 @settitle Gnus 5.6.23 Manual
9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The news reader Gnus.
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262 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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271 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
273 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
274 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
275 are preserved on all copies.
277 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
278 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
279 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
280 permission notice identical to this one.
282 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
283 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
292 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
294 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
296 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
297 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
298 are preserved on all copies.
301 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
302 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
303 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
304 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
307 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
308 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
309 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
310 permission notice identical to this one.
312 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
313 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
319 @title Gnus 5.6.23 Manual
321 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
324 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
325 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
327 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
328 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
329 are preserved on all copies.
331 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
332 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
333 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
334 permission notice identical to this one.
336 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
337 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
346 @top The Gnus Newsreader
350 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
351 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
352 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
355 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.6.23.
366 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
367 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
369 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
370 being accused of plagiarism:
372 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
373 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
374 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
375 even read news with it!
377 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
378 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
379 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
380 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
381 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
389 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
390 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
391 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
392 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
393 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
394 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
395 * Various:: General purpose settings.
396 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
397 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
398 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
399 * Key Index:: Key Index.
403 @chapter Starting Gnus
408 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
409 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
412 @findex gnus-other-frame
413 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
414 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
415 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
417 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
418 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
419 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
421 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
422 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
425 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
426 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
427 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
428 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
429 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
430 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
435 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
439 @node Finding the News
440 @section Finding the News
443 @vindex gnus-select-method
445 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
446 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
447 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
448 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
451 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
452 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
455 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
458 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
461 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
464 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
465 certainly be much faster.
467 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
469 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
470 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
471 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
472 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
473 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
474 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
476 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
477 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
478 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
479 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
481 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
482 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
483 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
484 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
485 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
486 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
488 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
490 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
491 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
492 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
493 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
494 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
495 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
497 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
499 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
500 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
501 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
502 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
503 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
504 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
507 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
508 would typically set this variable to
511 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
516 @section The First Time
517 @cindex first time usage
519 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
520 be subscribed by default.
522 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
523 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
524 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
525 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
528 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
529 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
530 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
532 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
533 help you with most common problems.
535 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
536 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
540 @node The Server is Down
541 @section The Server is Down
542 @cindex server errors
544 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
545 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
546 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
548 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
549 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
550 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
551 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
552 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
553 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
554 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
556 @findex gnus-no-server
557 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
559 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
560 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
561 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
562 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
563 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
564 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
569 @section Slave Gnusae
572 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
573 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
574 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
575 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
577 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
580 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
581 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
582 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
583 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
584 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
585 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
586 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
588 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
589 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
590 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
591 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
592 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
593 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
594 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
595 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
597 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
598 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
601 @node Fetching a Group
602 @section Fetching a Group
603 @cindex fetching a group
605 @findex gnus-fetch-group
606 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
607 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
608 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
609 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
610 It takes the group name as a parameter.
618 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
619 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
620 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
621 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
622 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
623 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
624 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
625 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
626 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
629 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
630 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
631 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
635 @node Checking New Groups
636 @subsection Checking New Groups
638 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
639 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
640 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
641 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
642 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
643 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
644 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
645 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
646 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
647 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
649 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
650 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
651 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
652 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
653 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
654 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
655 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
656 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
657 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
658 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
659 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
661 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
662 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
663 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
664 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
665 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
666 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
669 @node Subscription Methods
670 @subsection Subscription Methods
672 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
673 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
674 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
676 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
677 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
679 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
683 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
684 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
685 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
686 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
687 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
689 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
690 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
691 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
692 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
694 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
695 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
696 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
698 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
699 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
700 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
701 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
702 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
703 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
704 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
705 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
706 up. Or something like that.
708 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
709 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
710 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
711 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
712 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
714 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
715 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
720 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
721 A closely related variable is
722 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
723 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
724 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
725 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
728 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
729 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
730 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
731 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
734 @node Filtering New Groups
735 @subsection Filtering New Groups
737 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
738 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
739 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
742 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
745 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
746 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
747 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
748 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
749 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
750 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
751 subscribing these groups.
752 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
753 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
755 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
756 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
757 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
758 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
759 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
760 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
761 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
762 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
764 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
765 Yet another variable that meddles here is
766 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
767 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
768 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
769 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
770 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
771 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
772 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
773 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
775 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
776 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
779 @node Changing Servers
780 @section Changing Servers
781 @cindex changing servers
783 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
784 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
785 very flaky and you want to use another.
787 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
788 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
792 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
793 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
794 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
795 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
798 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
799 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
800 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
801 functions more than absolutely necessary.
803 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
804 @findex gnus-change-server
805 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
806 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
807 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
808 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
809 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
811 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
812 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
813 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
814 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
815 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
817 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
818 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
819 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
820 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
821 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
822 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
826 @section Startup Files
827 @cindex startup files
832 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
833 information is traditionally stored in this file.
835 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
836 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
837 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
838 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
839 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
840 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
841 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
843 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
844 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
845 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
846 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
847 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
848 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
850 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
851 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
852 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
853 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
854 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
855 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
857 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
858 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
859 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
860 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
861 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
862 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
863 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
864 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
865 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
866 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
867 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
868 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
870 @vindex gnus-startup-file
871 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
872 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
873 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
875 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
876 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
877 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
878 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
879 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
880 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
881 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
882 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
883 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
884 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
887 (defun turn-off-backup ()
888 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
890 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
891 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
894 @vindex gnus-init-file
895 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
896 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
897 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
898 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
899 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
900 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
901 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
902 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
903 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
912 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
913 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
914 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
915 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
916 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
919 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
920 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
923 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
924 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
925 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
927 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
928 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
929 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
930 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
931 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
932 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
934 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
935 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
936 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
939 @node The Active File
940 @section The Active File
942 @cindex ignored groups
944 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
945 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
946 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
948 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
949 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
950 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
951 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
952 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
953 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
954 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
957 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
958 @c if you set it to anything else.
960 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
962 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
963 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
964 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
966 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
967 you actually subscribe to.
969 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
970 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
971 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
972 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
974 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
975 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
976 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
977 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
978 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
979 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
981 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
982 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
983 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
984 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
985 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
986 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
988 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
989 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
991 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
992 secondary select methods.
995 @node Startup Variables
996 @section Startup Variables
1000 @item gnus-load-hook
1001 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1002 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1003 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1004 times you start Gnus.
1006 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1007 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1008 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1010 @item gnus-startup-hook
1011 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1012 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1014 @item gnus-started-hook
1015 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1016 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1019 @item gnus-started-hook
1020 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1021 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1022 generating the group buffer.
1024 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1025 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1026 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1027 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1028 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1029 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1030 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1031 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1033 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1034 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1035 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1036 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1037 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1038 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1040 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1041 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1042 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1044 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1045 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1046 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1048 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1049 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1050 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1051 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1056 @node The Group Buffer
1057 @chapter The Group Buffer
1058 @cindex group buffer
1060 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1061 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1062 long as Gnus is active.
1066 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1067 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1068 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1069 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1070 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1071 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1072 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1073 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1079 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1080 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1081 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1082 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1083 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1084 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1085 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1086 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1087 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1088 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1089 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1090 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1091 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1092 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1093 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1094 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1095 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1099 @node Group Buffer Format
1100 @section Group Buffer Format
1103 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1104 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1105 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1109 @node Group Line Specification
1110 @subsection Group Line Specification
1111 @cindex group buffer format
1113 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1114 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1116 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1119 25: news.announce.newusers
1120 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1125 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1126 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1127 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1128 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1130 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1131 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1132 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1133 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1134 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1135 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1137 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1139 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1140 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1141 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1142 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1145 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1146 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1147 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1149 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1154 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1157 Whether the group is subscribed.
1160 Level of subscribedness.
1163 Number of unread articles.
1166 Number of dormant articles.
1169 Number of ticked articles.
1172 Number of read articles.
1175 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1176 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1179 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1182 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1191 Newsgroup description.
1194 @samp{m} if moderated.
1197 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1206 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1210 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1213 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1214 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1215 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1216 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1217 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1220 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1222 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1226 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1230 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1231 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1232 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1233 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1234 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1235 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1240 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1241 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1242 group, or a bogus native group.
1245 @node Group Modeline Specification
1246 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1247 @cindex group modeline
1249 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1250 The mode line can be changed by setting
1251 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1252 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1256 The native news server.
1258 The native select method.
1262 @node Group Highlighting
1263 @subsection Group Highlighting
1264 @cindex highlighting
1265 @cindex group highlighting
1267 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1268 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1269 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1270 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1271 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1273 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1277 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
1278 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
1279 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
1280 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
1281 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
1283 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1284 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1285 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1286 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1287 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1288 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1291 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1293 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1300 The number of unread articles in the group.
1304 Whether the group is a mail group.
1306 The level of the group.
1308 The score of the group.
1310 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1312 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1313 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1315 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1316 topic being inserted.
1319 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1320 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1321 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1323 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1324 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1325 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1326 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1327 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1330 @node Group Maneuvering
1331 @section Group Maneuvering
1332 @cindex group movement
1334 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1335 expected, hopefully.
1341 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1342 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1343 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1349 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1350 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1351 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1355 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1356 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1360 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1361 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1365 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1366 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1367 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1371 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1372 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1373 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1376 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1382 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1383 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1384 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1389 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1390 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1391 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1395 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1396 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1397 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1400 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1401 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1402 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1403 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1407 @node Selecting a Group
1408 @section Selecting a Group
1409 @cindex group selection
1414 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1415 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1416 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1417 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1418 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1419 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1420 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1421 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1422 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1423 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1427 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1428 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1429 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1430 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1431 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1435 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1436 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1437 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1438 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1439 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1440 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1441 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1442 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1443 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1444 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1447 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1448 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1449 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1450 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1451 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1454 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1455 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1456 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1457 doing any processing of its contents
1458 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1459 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1460 manner will have no permanent effects.
1464 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1465 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1466 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1467 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1468 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1469 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1470 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1471 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1474 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1475 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1476 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1477 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1482 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1483 full summary buffer.
1486 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1489 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1493 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1494 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1495 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1499 @node Subscription Commands
1500 @section Subscription Commands
1501 @cindex subscription
1509 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1510 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1511 Toggle subscription to the current group
1512 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1518 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1519 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1520 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1521 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1527 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1528 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1529 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1535 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1536 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1539 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1540 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1541 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1542 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1543 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1549 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1550 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1554 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1555 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1558 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1559 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1560 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1561 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1562 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1563 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1564 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1565 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1566 @file{.newsrc} file.
1570 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1580 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1581 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1582 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1583 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1584 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1585 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1590 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1591 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1592 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1596 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1597 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1598 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1600 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1601 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1602 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1603 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1604 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1605 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1612 @section Group Levels
1616 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1617 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1618 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1619 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1620 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1622 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1628 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1629 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1630 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1631 prompted for a level.
1634 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1635 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1636 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1637 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1638 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1639 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1640 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1641 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1642 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1643 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1644 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1645 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1646 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1647 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1648 reasons of efficiency.
1650 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1651 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1653 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1654 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1655 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1657 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1658 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1659 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1660 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1661 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1662 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1663 relevant valid ranges.
1665 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1666 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1667 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1668 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1669 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1670 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1673 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1674 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1675 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1678 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1679 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1680 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1681 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1684 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1685 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1686 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1687 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1689 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1690 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
1691 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
1692 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
1693 to 5. The default is 6.
1697 @section Group Score
1702 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1703 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1704 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1707 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1708 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1709 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1710 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1711 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1712 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1713 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1715 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1716 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1717 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1718 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1719 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1720 action after each summary exit, you can add
1721 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1722 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1723 slow things down somewhat.
1726 @node Marking Groups
1727 @section Marking Groups
1728 @cindex marking groups
1730 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1731 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1732 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1733 bidding on those groups.
1735 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1736 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1737 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1745 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1746 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1752 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1753 Remove the mark from the current group
1754 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1758 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1759 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1763 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1764 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1768 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1769 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1773 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1774 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1775 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1778 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1780 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1781 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1782 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1783 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1784 the command to be executed.
1787 @node Foreign Groups
1788 @section Foreign Groups
1789 @cindex foreign groups
1791 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1792 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1793 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1794 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1801 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1802 @cindex making groups
1803 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1804 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1805 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1809 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1810 @cindex renaming groups
1811 Rename the current group to something else
1812 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1813 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1819 @findex gnus-group-customize
1820 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1824 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1825 @cindex renaming groups
1826 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1827 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1831 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1832 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1833 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1837 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1838 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1839 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1843 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1845 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1846 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1851 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1852 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1856 @cindex (ding) archive
1857 @cindex archive group
1858 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1859 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1860 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1861 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1862 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1863 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1864 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1868 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1870 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1871 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1872 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1873 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1877 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1879 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1880 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1881 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1885 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1886 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1888 Make a group based on some file or other
1889 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1890 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1891 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1892 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1893 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1894 this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
1895 @xref{Document Groups}.
1899 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1904 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1905 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1906 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1907 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1908 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1909 @xref{Web Searches}.
1911 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
1912 to a particular group by using a match string like
1913 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
1916 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1917 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1918 This function will delete the current group
1919 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1920 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1921 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1922 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
1923 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
1927 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1928 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1929 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1933 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1934 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1935 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1938 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1941 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1942 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1943 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1944 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1945 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
1946 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
1950 @node Group Parameters
1951 @section Group Parameters
1952 @cindex group parameters
1954 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
1955 Here's an example group parameter list:
1958 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
1962 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
1963 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
1964 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
1965 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
1967 The following group parameters can be used:
1972 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
1975 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
1978 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
1979 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
1980 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
1981 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
1982 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
1984 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1985 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1986 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1987 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1988 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1989 list address instead.
1993 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
1996 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
1999 It is totally ignored
2000 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2001 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2003 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2004 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2005 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2006 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2007 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2009 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2010 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2011 sending the message.
2015 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2016 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2017 of whether it has any unread articles.
2019 @item broken-reply-to
2020 @cindex broken-reply-to
2021 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2022 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2023 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2024 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2025 broken behavior. So there!
2029 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2030 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2034 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2035 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2036 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2041 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2042 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2043 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2044 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2045 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2046 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2047 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2051 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2052 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2053 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2056 @cindex total-expire
2057 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2058 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2059 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2060 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2065 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2066 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2067 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2068 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2069 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2070 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2073 @cindex score file group parameter
2074 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2075 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2076 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2079 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2080 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2081 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2082 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2085 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2086 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2087 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2088 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2091 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2092 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2096 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2099 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2104 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2105 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2106 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2109 @item @var{(variable form)}
2110 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2111 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2112 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2113 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2114 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2115 @code{eval}ed there.
2117 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2118 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2119 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2120 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2121 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2125 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2126 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2130 @node Listing Groups
2131 @section Listing Groups
2132 @cindex group listing
2134 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2142 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2143 List all groups that have unread articles
2144 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2145 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2146 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2147 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2154 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2155 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2156 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2157 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2158 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2159 unsubscribed groups).
2163 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2164 List all unread groups on a specific level
2165 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2166 with no unread articles.
2170 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2171 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2172 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2173 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2178 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2179 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2183 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2184 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2185 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2189 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2190 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2194 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2195 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2196 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2197 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2198 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2199 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2200 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2201 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2205 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2206 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2207 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2211 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2212 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2213 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2217 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2218 @cindex visible group parameter
2219 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2220 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2221 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2222 get the same effect.
2224 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2225 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2226 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2227 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2228 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2231 @node Sorting Groups
2232 @section Sorting Groups
2233 @cindex sorting groups
2235 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2236 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2237 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2238 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2239 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2240 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2245 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2246 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2247 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2249 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2250 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2251 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2253 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2254 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2255 Sort by group level.
2257 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2258 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2259 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2261 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2262 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2263 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2264 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2266 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2267 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2268 Sort by number of unread articles.
2270 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2271 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2272 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2277 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2278 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2282 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2283 some sorting criteria:
2287 @kindex G S a (Group)
2288 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2289 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2290 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2293 @kindex G S u (Group)
2294 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2295 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2296 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2299 @kindex G S l (Group)
2300 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2301 Sort the group buffer by group level
2302 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2305 @kindex G S v (Group)
2306 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2307 Sort the group buffer by group score
2308 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2311 @kindex G S r (Group)
2312 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2313 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2314 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2317 @kindex G S m (Group)
2318 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2319 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2320 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2324 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2326 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2330 @kindex G P a (Group)
2331 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2332 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2333 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2336 @kindex G P u (Group)
2337 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2338 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2339 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2342 @kindex G P l (Group)
2343 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2344 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2345 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2348 @kindex G P v (Group)
2349 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2350 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2351 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2354 @kindex G P r (Group)
2355 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2356 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2357 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2360 @kindex G P m (Group)
2361 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2362 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2363 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2369 @node Group Maintenance
2370 @section Group Maintenance
2371 @cindex bogus groups
2376 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2377 Find bogus groups and delete them
2378 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2382 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2383 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2384 If given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2388 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2389 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2390 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2391 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2394 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2395 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2396 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2397 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2402 @node Browse Foreign Server
2403 @section Browse Foreign Server
2404 @cindex foreign servers
2405 @cindex browsing servers
2410 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2411 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2412 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2413 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2416 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2417 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2418 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2419 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2421 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2426 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2427 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2431 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2432 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2435 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2436 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2437 Enter the current group and display the first article
2438 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2441 @kindex RET (Browse)
2442 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2443 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2447 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2448 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2449 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2455 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2456 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2460 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2461 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2462 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2467 @section Exiting Gnus
2468 @cindex exiting Gnus
2470 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2475 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2476 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2477 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2478 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2482 @findex gnus-group-exit
2483 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2484 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-quit
2489 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2490 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2493 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2494 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2495 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2496 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2497 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2502 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2503 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2504 trying to customize meta-variables.
2509 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2510 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2511 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2517 @section Group Topics
2520 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2521 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2522 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2523 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2524 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2525 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2529 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2530 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2541 2: alt.religion.emacs
2544 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2546 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2547 13: comp.sources.unix
2550 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2552 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2553 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2554 is a toggling command.)
2556 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2557 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2558 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2559 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2562 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2563 the hook for the group mode:
2566 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2570 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2571 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2572 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2573 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2574 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2578 @node Topic Variables
2579 @subsection Topic Variables
2580 @cindex topic variables
2582 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2583 really neat, I think.
2585 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2586 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2587 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2600 Number of groups in the topic.
2602 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2604 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2607 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2608 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2609 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2612 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2613 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2615 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2616 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2617 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2620 @node Topic Commands
2621 @subsection Topic Commands
2622 @cindex topic commands
2624 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2625 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2626 definitions slightly.
2632 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2633 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2634 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2638 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2639 Move the current group to some other topic
2640 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2641 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2645 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2646 Copy the current group to some other topic
2647 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2648 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2652 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2653 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2654 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
2655 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
2656 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
2657 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
2658 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
2661 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2662 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2666 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2667 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2668 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2672 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2673 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2674 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2678 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2679 Toggle hiding empty topics
2680 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2684 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2685 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2686 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2689 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2690 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2691 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2692 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2696 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2698 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2699 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2700 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2701 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2702 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2703 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2706 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2707 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2708 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2709 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2710 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2714 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2715 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2716 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2720 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2721 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2722 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2727 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2728 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2731 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2732 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2733 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2737 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2738 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2739 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2743 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2744 @cindex group parameters
2745 @cindex topic parameters
2747 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2748 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2754 @subsection Topic Sorting
2755 @cindex topic sorting
2757 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2763 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2764 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2765 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2766 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2769 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2770 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2771 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2772 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2775 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2776 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2777 Sort the current topic by group level
2778 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2781 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2782 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2783 Sort the current topic by group score
2784 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2787 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2788 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2789 Sort the current topic by group rank
2790 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2793 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2794 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2795 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2796 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2800 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2803 @node Topic Topology
2804 @subsection Topic Topology
2805 @cindex topic topology
2808 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2814 2: alt.religion.emacs
2817 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2819 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2820 13: comp.sources.unix
2823 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2824 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2825 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2830 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2831 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2835 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2836 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2837 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2838 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2839 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2840 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2842 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2843 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2844 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2847 @node Topic Parameters
2848 @subsection Topic Parameters
2849 @cindex topic parameters
2851 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2852 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2853 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2855 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2856 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2857 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2858 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2864 2: alt.religion.emacs
2868 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2870 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2871 13: comp.sources.unix
2875 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2876 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2877 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2878 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2879 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2880 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2882 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2883 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2884 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2885 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2886 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2888 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2889 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2890 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2891 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2892 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2893 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2894 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2895 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2898 @node Misc Group Stuff
2899 @section Misc Group Stuff
2902 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2903 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2904 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2905 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2912 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2913 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2914 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2918 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2919 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
2920 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
2924 @findex gnus-group-mail
2925 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2929 Variables for the group buffer:
2933 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2934 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2935 is called after the group buffer has been
2938 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2939 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2940 is called after the group buffer is
2941 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2944 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
2945 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2946 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
2947 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
2949 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2950 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2951 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2952 whether they are empty or not.
2957 @node Scanning New Messages
2958 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2959 @cindex new messages
2960 @cindex scanning new news
2966 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2967 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
2968 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2969 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2970 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2971 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
2976 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2977 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2978 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
2979 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2980 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2981 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2982 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2984 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2985 @cindex activating groups
2987 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2988 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2993 @findex gnus-group-restart
2994 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2995 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2996 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3000 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3001 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3003 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3004 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3008 @node Group Information
3009 @subsection Group Information
3010 @cindex group information
3011 @cindex information on groups
3018 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3019 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3022 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3023 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3024 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3025 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3026 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3027 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3028 for fetching the file.
3030 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3031 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3035 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3037 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3038 @cindex describing groups
3039 @cindex group description
3040 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3041 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3042 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3046 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3047 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3048 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3055 @findex gnus-version
3056 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3060 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3061 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3064 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3067 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3068 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3072 @node Group Timestamp
3073 @subsection Group Timestamp
3075 @cindex group timestamps
3077 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3078 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3079 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3082 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3085 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3087 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3088 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3091 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3092 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3095 This will result in lines looking like:
3098 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3099 0: custom 19961002T012713
3102 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3103 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3107 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3108 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3113 @subsection File Commands
3114 @cindex file commands
3120 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3121 @vindex gnus-init-file
3122 @cindex reading init file
3123 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3124 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3128 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3129 @cindex saving .newsrc
3130 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3131 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3132 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3135 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3136 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3137 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3142 @node The Summary Buffer
3143 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3144 @cindex summary buffer
3146 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3147 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3149 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3150 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3152 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3155 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3156 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3157 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3158 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3159 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3160 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3161 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3162 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3163 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3164 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3165 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3166 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3167 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3168 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3169 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3170 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3171 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3172 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3173 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3174 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3175 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3176 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3177 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3178 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3179 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3180 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3181 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3185 @node Summary Buffer Format
3186 @section Summary Buffer Format
3187 @cindex summary buffer format
3191 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3192 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3193 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3199 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3200 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3201 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3204 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3205 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3206 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3207 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3208 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3209 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3210 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3211 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3212 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3213 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3214 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3216 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3217 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3218 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3219 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3222 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3223 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3225 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3226 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3227 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3228 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3229 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3231 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3233 The following format specification characters are understood:
3241 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3242 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3243 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3245 Full @code{From} header.
3247 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3249 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3250 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3251 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3252 may be more thorough.
3254 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3257 Number of lines in the article.
3259 Number of characters in the article.
3261 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3263 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3264 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3266 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3267 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3269 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3270 for adopted articles.
3272 One space for each thread level.
3274 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3279 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3280 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3284 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3286 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3287 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3288 default level. If the difference between
3289 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3290 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3298 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3300 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3306 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3307 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3309 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3310 article has any children.
3316 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3317 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3318 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3319 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3320 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3321 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3324 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3325 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3326 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3327 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3328 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3329 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3331 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3332 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3334 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3337 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3338 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3340 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3341 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
3342 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
3343 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3345 Here are the elements you can play with:
3351 Unprefixed group name.
3353 Current article number.
3355 Current article score.
3359 Number of unread articles in this group.
3361 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
3364 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3365 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3366 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3367 and no unselected ones.
3369 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3370 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3372 Subject of the current article.
3374 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
3376 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
3378 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3380 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3382 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3384 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3388 @node Summary Highlighting
3389 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3393 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3394 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3395 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3396 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3397 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3399 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3400 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3401 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3402 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3404 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3405 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3406 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3407 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3409 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3410 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3411 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3412 list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3413 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3414 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3416 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3417 ((> score default) . bold))
3419 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3420 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3424 @node Summary Maneuvering
3425 @section Summary Maneuvering
3426 @cindex summary movement
3428 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3429 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3431 None of these commands select articles.
3436 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3437 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3438 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3439 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3440 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3444 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3445 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3446 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3447 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3448 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3453 @kindex G j (Summary)
3454 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3455 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
3456 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3459 @kindex G g (Summary)
3460 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3461 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3462 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3465 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3466 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3467 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3468 to the group buffer.
3470 Variables related to summary movement:
3474 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3475 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3476 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3477 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3478 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3479 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3480 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3481 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3482 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3483 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3484 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3485 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3486 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3487 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3489 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3490 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3491 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3492 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3493 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3494 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3495 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3497 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3498 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3499 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3500 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3501 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3503 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3504 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3505 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3506 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3507 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3508 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3509 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3510 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3516 @node Choosing Articles
3517 @section Choosing Articles
3518 @cindex selecting articles
3521 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3522 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3526 @node Choosing Commands
3527 @subsection Choosing Commands
3529 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3530 and they all select and display an article.
3534 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3535 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3536 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3537 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3542 @kindex G n (Summary)
3543 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3544 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3545 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3550 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3551 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3552 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3557 @kindex G N (Summary)
3558 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3559 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3564 @kindex G P (Summary)
3565 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3566 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3569 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3570 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3571 Go to the next article with the same subject
3572 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3575 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3576 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3577 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3578 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3582 @kindex G f (Summary)
3584 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3585 Go to the first unread article
3586 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3590 @kindex G b (Summary)
3592 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3593 Go to the article with the highest score
3594 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3599 @kindex G l (Summary)
3600 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3601 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3604 @kindex G o (Summary)
3605 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3607 @cindex article history
3608 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3609 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3610 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3611 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
3612 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
3613 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
3617 @node Choosing Variables
3618 @subsection Choosing Variables
3620 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3623 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3624 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3625 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3626 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3627 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3628 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3630 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3631 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3632 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3633 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3635 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3636 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3637 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3638 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3639 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3640 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3641 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3642 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3643 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3644 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3645 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3646 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3647 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3648 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3653 @node Paging the Article
3654 @section Scrolling the Article
3655 @cindex article scrolling
3660 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3661 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3662 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3663 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3664 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3667 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3668 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3669 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3672 @kindex RET (Summary)
3673 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3674 Scroll the current article one line forward
3675 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3679 @kindex A g (Summary)
3681 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3682 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3683 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3684 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3685 the way it came from the server.
3690 @kindex A < (Summary)
3691 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3692 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3693 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3698 @kindex A > (Summary)
3699 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3700 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3704 @kindex A s (Summary)
3706 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3707 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3708 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3712 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
3713 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
3718 @node Reply Followup and Post
3719 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3722 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3723 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3727 @node Summary Mail Commands
3728 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3730 @cindex composing mail
3732 Commands for composing a mail message:
3738 @kindex S r (Summary)
3740 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3741 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3742 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3743 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3744 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3749 @kindex S R (Summary)
3750 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3751 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3752 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3753 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3754 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3757 @kindex S w (Summary)
3758 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3759 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3760 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3761 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3762 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3765 @kindex S W (Summary)
3766 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3767 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3768 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3769 the process/prefix convention.
3772 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3773 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3774 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
3775 Forward the current article to some other person
3776 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3777 headers of the forwarded article.
3782 @kindex S m (Summary)
3783 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3784 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
3785 Send a mail to some other person
3786 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3789 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3790 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3791 @cindex bouncing mail
3792 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3793 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3794 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3795 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3796 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3797 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3798 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3799 very well fail, though.
3802 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3803 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3804 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3805 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3806 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3807 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3808 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3809 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3810 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3811 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3813 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3814 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3815 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3816 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3817 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3819 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3820 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3823 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3824 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3825 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
3826 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
3827 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3830 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3831 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3832 @cindex crossposting
3833 @cindex excessive crossposting
3834 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3835 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3837 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3838 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
3839 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3840 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3841 command understands the process/prefix convention
3842 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3846 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
3849 @node Summary Post Commands
3850 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3852 @cindex composing news
3854 Commands for posting a news article:
3860 @kindex S p (Summary)
3861 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3862 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
3863 Post an article to the current group
3864 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3869 @kindex S f (Summary)
3870 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3871 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
3872 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3876 @kindex S F (Summary)
3878 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
3879 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3880 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3881 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3882 process/prefix convention.
3885 @kindex S n (Summary)
3886 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3887 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3888 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3891 @kindex S N (Summary)
3892 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
3893 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3894 message through mail and include the original message
3895 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3896 the process/prefix convention.
3899 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3900 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3901 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3902 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3903 headers of the forwarded article.
3906 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3907 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3909 @cindex making digests
3910 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3911 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3912 process/prefix convention.
3915 @kindex S u (Summary)
3916 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3917 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
3918 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3919 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3922 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
3925 @node Canceling and Superseding
3926 @section Canceling Articles
3927 @cindex canceling articles
3928 @cindex superseding articles
3930 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3931 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3933 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3935 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3937 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
3938 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3939 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3940 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3941 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3942 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3944 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3945 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3948 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
3949 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
3950 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
3952 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3953 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3954 your original article.
3956 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3958 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3959 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3960 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3963 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3964 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3965 have posted almost the same article twice.
3967 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3968 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3969 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3970 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3971 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3972 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3973 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3974 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3975 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3976 canceled/superseded.
3978 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3981 @node Marking Articles
3982 @section Marking Articles
3983 @cindex article marking
3984 @cindex article ticking
3987 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3989 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3990 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3991 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3993 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3996 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3997 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3998 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4002 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4006 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4007 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4011 @node Unread Articles
4012 @subsection Unread Articles
4014 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4019 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4020 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4022 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4023 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4024 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4025 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4026 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4030 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4031 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4033 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4034 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4035 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4038 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4039 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4041 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4046 @subsection Read Articles
4047 @cindex expirable mark
4049 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4054 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4055 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4056 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4059 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4060 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4063 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4064 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4065 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4068 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4069 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4072 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4073 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4076 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4077 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4080 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4081 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4084 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4085 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4088 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4089 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4092 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4093 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4097 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4098 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4099 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4103 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4104 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4106 One more special mark, though:
4110 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4111 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4113 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4114 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4115 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4116 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4122 @subsection Other Marks
4123 @cindex process mark
4126 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4132 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4133 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4134 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4135 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4136 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
4139 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4140 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4141 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4142 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4145 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4146 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4147 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}
4150 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4151 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4152 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4153 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4156 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4157 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4158 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4159 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4160 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4163 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4164 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4165 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4166 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4167 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4168 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4172 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4173 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4174 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4176 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4177 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4178 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4182 @subsection Setting Marks
4183 @cindex setting marks
4185 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4190 @kindex M c (Summary)
4191 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4192 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4193 @cindex mark as unread
4194 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4195 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4201 @kindex M t (Summary)
4202 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4203 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4204 @xref{Article Caching}
4209 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4210 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4211 Mark the current article as dormant
4212 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}
4216 @kindex M d (Summary)
4218 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4219 Mark the current article as read
4220 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4224 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4225 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4226 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4231 @kindex M k (Summary)
4232 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4233 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4234 and then select the next unread article
4235 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4239 @kindex M K (Summary)
4240 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4241 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4242 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4243 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4246 @kindex M C (Summary)
4247 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4248 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4249 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4252 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4253 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4254 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4255 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4258 @kindex M H (Summary)
4259 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4260 Catchup the current group to point
4261 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4264 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4265 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4266 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4267 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4270 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4271 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4272 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4273 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4277 @kindex M e (Summary)
4279 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4280 Mark the current article as expirable
4281 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4284 @kindex M b (Summary)
4285 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4286 Set a bookmark in the current article
4287 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4290 @kindex M B (Summary)
4291 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4292 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4293 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4296 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4297 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4298 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4299 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4302 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4303 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4304 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4305 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4308 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4309 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4310 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4311 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4312 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4315 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4316 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4317 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4318 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4319 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4320 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4321 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4322 The default is @code{t}.
4325 @node Setting Process Marks
4326 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4327 @cindex setting process marks
4334 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4335 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4336 Mark the current article with the process mark
4337 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4338 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4342 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4343 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4344 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4345 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4348 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4349 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4350 Remove the process mark from all articles
4351 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4354 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4355 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4356 Invert the list of process marked articles
4357 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4360 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4361 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4362 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
4363 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4366 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4367 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4368 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4371 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4372 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4373 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4374 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4377 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4378 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4379 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4380 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4383 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4384 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4385 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4386 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4389 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4390 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4391 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4394 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4395 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4396 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4397 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4400 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4401 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4402 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4405 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4406 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4407 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4408 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4411 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4412 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4413 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4414 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4417 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4418 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4419 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4420 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4423 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4424 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4425 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4426 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4435 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4436 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4437 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4440 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
4441 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
4442 additional articles.
4448 @kindex / / (Summary)
4449 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4450 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4451 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4454 @kindex / a (Summary)
4455 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4456 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4457 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4461 @kindex / u (Summary)
4463 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4464 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4465 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4466 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4467 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4470 @kindex / m (Summary)
4471 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4472 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
4473 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4476 @kindex / t (Summary)
4477 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4478 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4479 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4480 articles younger than that number of days.
4483 @kindex / n (Summary)
4484 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4485 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4486 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4487 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4490 @kindex / w (Summary)
4491 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4492 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4493 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4497 @kindex / v (Summary)
4498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4499 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4500 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4504 @kindex M S (Summary)
4505 @kindex / E (Summary)
4506 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4507 Include all expunged articles in the limit
4508 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4511 @kindex / D (Summary)
4512 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4513 Include all dormant articles in the limit
4514 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4517 @kindex / * (Summary)
4518 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
4519 Include all cached articles in the limit
4520 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
4523 @kindex / d (Summary)
4524 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4525 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
4526 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4529 @kindex / T (Summary)
4530 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
4531 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
4534 @kindex / c (Summary)
4535 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4536 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
4537 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4540 @kindex / C (Summary)
4541 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4542 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4543 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4544 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4552 @cindex article threading
4554 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4555 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4556 hierarchical fashion.
4558 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
4559 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
4560 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
4561 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
4562 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
4563 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
4564 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
4566 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
4570 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
4573 A tree-like article structure.
4576 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
4579 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
4580 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
4581 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
4582 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
4583 called loose threads.
4585 @item thread gathering
4586 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
4588 @item sparse threads
4589 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
4590 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
4596 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4597 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4601 @node Customizing Threading
4602 @subsection Customizing Threading
4603 @cindex customizing threading
4606 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
4607 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
4608 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
4609 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
4614 @subsubsection Loose Threads
4617 @cindex loose threads
4620 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4621 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4622 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4623 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4624 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4625 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4627 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4628 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4629 There are four possible values:
4633 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4634 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4635 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4636 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4637 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4642 @cindex adopting articles
4647 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4648 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4649 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4650 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4653 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4654 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4655 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4656 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4657 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4658 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4659 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4662 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4663 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4664 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4668 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4669 display them after one another.
4672 Don't gather loose threads.
4675 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4676 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4677 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4678 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4679 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4680 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4681 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4682 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4683 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4684 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4685 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4687 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4688 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4689 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4692 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4693 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4694 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4695 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4696 simplification is used.
4698 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4699 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4700 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4701 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4703 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4705 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4711 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4712 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4713 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4714 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4719 (mapconcat 'identity
4720 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4722 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4725 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4728 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4729 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4730 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
4731 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
4732 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
4733 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
4735 Useful functions to put in this list include:
4738 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
4739 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
4740 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
4742 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4743 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4746 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
4747 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
4748 Remove excessive whitespace.
4751 You may also write your own functions, of course.
4754 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4755 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4756 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4757 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4758 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4759 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4760 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
4761 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4763 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4764 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4765 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4766 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4767 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4768 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4769 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
4770 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
4771 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4775 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4776 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4777 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4778 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4780 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4781 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4782 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4785 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4789 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4790 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4796 @node Filling In Threads
4797 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
4800 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4801 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4802 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4803 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
4804 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4805 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4806 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4807 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4808 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4809 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4810 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4811 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4813 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
4814 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
4815 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
4817 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4818 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4819 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4820 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4821 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4822 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
4823 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4824 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4825 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4826 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4827 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4828 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4829 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4830 @code{nil} by default.
4835 @node More Threading
4836 @subsubsection More Threading
4839 @item gnus-show-threads
4840 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4841 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4842 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4843 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4844 slower and more awkward.
4846 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4847 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4848 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4851 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4852 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4853 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4854 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4855 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4856 threads are expunged.
4858 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4859 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4860 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4863 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4864 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4865 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4866 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4867 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4870 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4871 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4872 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4878 @node Low-Level Threading
4879 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
4883 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4884 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4885 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4886 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4887 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4888 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4890 @item gnus-alter-header-function
4891 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
4892 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
4893 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
4894 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
4895 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
4896 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
4897 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
4898 meaningful. Here's one example:
4901 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
4903 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
4904 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
4906 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
4908 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
4915 @node Thread Commands
4916 @subsection Thread Commands
4917 @cindex thread commands
4923 @kindex T k (Summary)
4924 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4925 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4926 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4927 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4928 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4933 @kindex T l (Summary)
4934 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4936 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4937 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4940 @kindex T i (Summary)
4941 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4942 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4943 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4946 @kindex T # (Summary)
4947 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4948 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4949 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4952 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4953 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4954 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4955 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4958 @kindex T T (Summary)
4959 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4960 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4963 @kindex T s (Summary)
4964 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4965 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4966 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4969 @kindex T h (Summary)
4970 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4971 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4974 @kindex T S (Summary)
4975 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4976 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4979 @kindex T H (Summary)
4980 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4981 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4984 @kindex T t (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4986 Re-thread the current article's thread
4987 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4988 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4991 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4992 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4993 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4994 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
4998 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4999 understand the numeric prefix.
5004 @kindex T n (Summary)
5005 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5006 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5009 @kindex T p (Summary)
5010 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5011 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5014 @kindex T d (Summary)
5015 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5016 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5019 @kindex T u (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5021 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5024 @kindex T o (Summary)
5025 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5026 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5029 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5030 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5031 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5032 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5033 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5034 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5035 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5036 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5037 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5038 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5039 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5040 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5047 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5048 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5049 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5050 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5051 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5052 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5053 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5054 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5055 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
5056 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5057 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5058 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5059 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5060 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5062 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5063 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5064 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
5065 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
5066 in the list. You should probably always include
5067 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5068 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5069 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5070 ascending article order.
5072 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
5073 number, you could do something like:
5076 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5077 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5078 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5079 gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
5082 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5083 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5084 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5085 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5086 which the articles arrived.
5088 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5092 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5094 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5095 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5098 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5099 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5100 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5101 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5104 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5105 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5106 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5107 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5108 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5109 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5110 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5111 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5112 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5113 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5114 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5115 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5116 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5118 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5122 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5123 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5124 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5129 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5130 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5131 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5132 @cindex article pre-fetch
5135 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5136 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5137 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5138 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5139 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5141 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5142 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
5144 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5145 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5146 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5147 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5148 connection is blocked.
5150 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5151 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5152 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5153 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
5155 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
5156 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
5157 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
5158 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
5161 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
5164 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
5165 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
5166 happen automatically.
5168 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
5169 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
5170 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
5171 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
5172 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
5173 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
5174 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
5176 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
5177 @findex gnus-async-read-p
5178 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
5179 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
5180 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
5181 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
5182 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
5183 data structure as the only parameter.
5185 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
5188 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
5189 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
5190 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
5191 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
5194 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
5197 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
5198 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
5199 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
5201 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
5202 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
5203 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
5204 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
5208 Remove articles when they are read.
5211 Remove articles when exiting the group.
5214 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
5216 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
5217 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
5218 from the next group.
5221 @node Article Caching
5222 @section Article Caching
5223 @cindex article caching
5226 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
5227 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
5228 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
5229 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
5230 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
5232 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
5234 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5235 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
5236 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5237 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5238 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5239 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5240 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5241 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5243 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5244 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5245 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5246 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5247 as dormant, and don't worry.
5249 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5251 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5252 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5253 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5254 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5255 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5256 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5257 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5258 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5259 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5260 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5262 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5263 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5264 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5265 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
5266 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
5267 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
5268 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
5269 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
5270 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
5271 not then be downloaded by this command.
5273 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5274 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
5275 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5276 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5277 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
5278 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
5279 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
5282 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5283 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5284 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5285 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5286 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5287 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
5288 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5289 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5290 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5294 @node Persistent Articles
5295 @section Persistent Articles
5296 @cindex persistent articles
5298 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5299 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5300 useful in my opinion.
5302 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5303 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5304 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5305 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5306 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5307 the expiry going on at the news server.
5309 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5310 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5311 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5317 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5318 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5321 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5322 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5323 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5324 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5328 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5330 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5331 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5332 interested in persistent articles:
5335 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5339 @node Article Backlog
5340 @section Article Backlog
5342 @cindex article backlog
5344 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5345 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5346 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5347 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5348 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5349 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5350 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5351 increase memory usage some.
5353 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5354 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5355 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5356 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5357 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5358 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5359 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5361 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5364 @node Saving Articles
5365 @section Saving Articles
5366 @cindex saving articles
5368 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5369 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5370 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5371 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5372 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5374 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5375 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5376 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5378 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5379 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5380 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5381 deleted before saving.
5387 @kindex O o (Summary)
5389 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5390 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5391 Save the current article using the default article saver
5392 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5395 @kindex O m (Summary)
5396 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5397 Save the current article in mail format
5398 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5401 @kindex O r (Summary)
5402 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5403 Save the current article in rmail format
5404 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5407 @kindex O f (Summary)
5408 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5409 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5410 Save the current article in plain file format
5411 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5414 @kindex O F (Summary)
5415 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5416 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5417 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5420 @kindex O b (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5422 Save the current article body in plain file format
5423 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5426 @kindex O h (Summary)
5427 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5428 Save the current article in mh folder format
5429 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5432 @kindex O v (Summary)
5433 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5434 Save the current article in a VM folder
5435 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5438 @kindex O p (Summary)
5439 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5440 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5441 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5444 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5445 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5446 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5447 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5448 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5449 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5450 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5451 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5452 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5453 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5454 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5455 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5459 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5460 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5461 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5462 functions below, or you can create your own.
5466 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5467 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5468 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5469 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5470 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5471 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5472 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5474 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5475 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5476 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5477 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5478 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5479 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5481 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5482 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5483 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5484 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5485 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5486 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5487 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5489 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5490 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5491 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5492 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5493 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5495 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5496 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5497 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5498 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5499 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5502 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5503 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5504 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5505 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5506 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5508 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5509 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5510 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5511 reader to use this setting.
5514 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5515 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5516 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5517 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5520 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5521 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5522 available functions that generate names:
5526 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5527 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5528 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5530 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5531 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5532 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5534 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5535 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5536 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5538 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5539 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5540 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5543 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5544 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5545 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5546 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5547 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5551 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5552 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5553 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5554 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5557 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5558 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5559 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5560 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5561 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5562 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5563 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5564 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5565 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5567 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5568 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5569 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5570 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5572 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5573 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5574 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5577 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5578 lots of mail groups called things like
5579 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5580 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5581 following will do just that:
5584 (defun my-save-name (group)
5585 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5586 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5588 (setq gnus-split-methods
5589 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5594 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5595 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5596 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5597 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5598 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5599 all the files in the top level directory
5600 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5601 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5602 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5603 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5605 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5606 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5607 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5608 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5609 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5612 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5616 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5617 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5620 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5621 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5622 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5623 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5626 @node Decoding Articles
5627 @section Decoding Articles
5628 @cindex decoding articles
5630 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5631 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5634 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5635 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
5636 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5637 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5638 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5639 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5643 @cindex article series
5644 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5645 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5646 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5647 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5648 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5650 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5651 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5652 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5654 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5655 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5656 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5658 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5659 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5660 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5663 @node Uuencoded Articles
5664 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5666 @cindex uuencoded articles
5671 @kindex X u (Summary)
5672 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5673 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5674 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5677 @kindex X U (Summary)
5678 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5679 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5680 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5683 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5684 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5685 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5688 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5689 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5690 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5691 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5695 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5696 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5697 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5698 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5699 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5701 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5702 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5703 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5704 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5707 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5708 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5709 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5710 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5711 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5712 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5716 @node Shell Archives
5717 @subsection Shell Archives
5719 @cindex shell archives
5720 @cindex shared articles
5722 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
5723 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
5724 some commands to deal with these:
5729 @kindex X s (Summary)
5730 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5731 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5734 @kindex X S (Summary)
5735 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5736 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5739 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5740 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5741 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5744 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5745 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5746 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5747 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5751 @node PostScript Files
5752 @subsection PostScript Files
5758 @kindex X p (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5760 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5763 @kindex X P (Summary)
5764 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5765 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5766 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5769 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5770 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5771 View the current PostScript series
5772 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5775 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5776 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5777 View and save the current PostScript series
5778 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5783 @subsection Other Files
5787 @kindex X o (Summary)
5788 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
5789 Save the current series
5790 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
5793 @kindex X b (Summary)
5794 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
5795 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
5796 doesn't really work yet.
5800 @node Decoding Variables
5801 @subsection Decoding Variables
5803 Adjective, not verb.
5806 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5807 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5808 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5812 @node Rule Variables
5813 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5814 @cindex rule variables
5816 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5817 variables are of the form
5820 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5827 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5828 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5830 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5831 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5834 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5835 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5838 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5839 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5840 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5841 user and default view rules.
5843 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5844 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5845 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5850 @node Other Decode Variables
5851 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5854 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5856 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5857 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
5858 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5859 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5860 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5864 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5865 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5868 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5869 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5870 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5873 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5874 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5875 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5876 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5877 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5880 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5881 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5882 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5884 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5885 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5886 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5887 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5888 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5891 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5892 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5893 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5895 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5896 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5897 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5898 looking for files to display.
5900 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5901 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5902 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5905 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5906 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5907 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5910 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5911 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5912 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5915 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5916 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5917 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5920 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5921 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5922 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
5923 decoded articles as unread.
5925 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5926 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5927 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5928 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5930 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
5931 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
5932 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
5934 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5935 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5937 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5938 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5939 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5940 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5942 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5943 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5944 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5945 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5946 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5947 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5948 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5949 simply dropped them.
5954 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5955 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5959 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5960 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5961 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5962 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5963 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5964 for you when you post the article.
5966 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5967 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5968 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5969 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5971 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5972 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5973 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5974 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
5975 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5976 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5977 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5979 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5980 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5981 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5982 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5983 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5984 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5985 Default is @code{t}.
5991 @subsection Viewing Files
5992 @cindex viewing files
5993 @cindex pseudo-articles
5995 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5996 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5997 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5998 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5999 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6000 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6001 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6003 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6004 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6005 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6006 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6008 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6009 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6010 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6012 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6013 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6014 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6015 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6016 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6018 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6019 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6020 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6021 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6022 a list of parameters to that command.
6024 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6025 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6026 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6028 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6029 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6030 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6033 @node Article Treatment
6034 @section Article Treatment
6036 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6037 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6038 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6039 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6040 these articles easier.
6043 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6044 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6045 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6046 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6047 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6048 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6049 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6053 @node Article Highlighting
6054 @subsection Article Highlighting
6057 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6058 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6063 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6064 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6065 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
6068 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6070 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6071 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6072 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6073 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
6074 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6075 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6076 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6077 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6078 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6081 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6082 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6083 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6085 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6088 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6090 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6091 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6092 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6094 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6095 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6096 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6098 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6099 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6100 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6102 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6103 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6104 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6105 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6106 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6107 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6109 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6110 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6111 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6113 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6114 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6115 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6117 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6118 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6119 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6120 that it's a citation.
6122 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6123 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6124 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6126 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6127 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6128 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6130 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6131 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6132 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6133 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6139 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6140 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6141 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6142 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6143 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6144 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6145 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6146 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
6152 @node Article Fontisizing
6153 @subsection Article Fontisizing
6155 @cindex article emphasis
6157 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
6158 @kindex W e (Summary)
6159 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
6160 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
6161 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
6162 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
6164 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
6165 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
6166 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
6167 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
6168 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
6169 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
6170 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
6171 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
6175 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
6176 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
6177 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
6180 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
6181 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
6182 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
6183 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
6184 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
6185 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
6186 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
6187 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
6188 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
6189 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
6190 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
6191 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
6192 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
6194 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
6195 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
6196 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
6200 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
6204 @node Article Hiding
6205 @subsection Article Hiding
6206 @cindex article hiding
6208 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
6209 too much cruft in most articles.
6214 @kindex W W a (Summary)
6215 @findex gnus-article-hide
6216 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
6219 @kindex W W h (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
6221 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
6225 @kindex W W b (Summary)
6226 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6227 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
6228 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
6231 @kindex W W s (Summary)
6232 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
6233 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
6237 @kindex W W p (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
6239 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6240 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
6241 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
6242 signature has been hidden.
6245 @kindex W W P (Summary)
6246 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
6247 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
6248 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6251 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6252 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6253 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6254 customizing the hiding:
6258 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6259 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6260 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6261 50), hide the cited text.
6263 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6264 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6265 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6268 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6269 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
6270 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6271 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6272 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6277 Start point of the hidden text.
6279 End point of the hidden text.
6281 Length of the hidden text.
6284 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6285 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6286 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6291 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6293 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6294 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6295 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6296 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6300 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6301 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6302 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6304 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6305 citation customization.
6308 @node Article Washing
6309 @subsection Article Washing
6311 @cindex article washing
6313 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6314 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6316 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6317 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6323 @kindex W l (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6325 Remove page breaks from the current article
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article} for page
6330 @kindex W r (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6332 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6333 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6334 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6335 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
6336 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
6338 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
6339 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
6340 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
6341 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
6344 @kindex W t (Summary)
6345 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6346 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6347 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6350 @kindex W v (Summary)
6351 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6352 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6353 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6356 @kindex W m (Summary)
6357 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6358 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6359 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6362 @kindex W o (Summary)
6363 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6364 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6367 @kindex W d (Summary)
6368 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
6369 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}).
6372 @kindex W w (Summary)
6373 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6374 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
6375 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
6376 late and certainly after any highlighting.
6378 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6382 @kindex W c (Summary)
6383 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6384 Remove CR (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines)
6385 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6388 @kindex W q (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
6390 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
6391 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
6392 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
6393 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
6397 @kindex W f (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6400 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6401 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6402 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6408 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6409 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6410 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6411 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6412 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6413 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6414 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6415 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6416 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6417 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6418 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6419 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6420 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6421 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6425 @kindex W b (Summary)
6426 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6427 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6428 @xref{Article Buttons}
6431 @kindex W B (Summary)
6432 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6433 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6434 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6437 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6438 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6439 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6440 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6443 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6444 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6445 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6446 lines with a single empty line.
6447 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6450 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6451 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6452 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6453 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6456 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6457 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6458 Do all the three commands above
6459 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6462 @kindex W E A (Summary)
6463 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
6464 Remove all blank lines
6465 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
6468 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6469 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6470 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6471 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6476 @node Article Buttons
6477 @subsection Article Buttons
6480 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6481 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6482 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
6483 button on these references.
6485 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6486 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6487 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6492 @item gnus-button-alist
6493 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6494 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6497 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6503 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6504 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6505 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6508 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6509 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6510 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6513 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6514 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6515 avoid false matches.
6518 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6521 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6522 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6526 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6529 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6532 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6533 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6534 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6535 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6536 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6539 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6542 @var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
6544 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6545 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6546 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6547 default values of the variables above.
6549 @item gnus-article-button-face
6550 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6551 Face used on buttons.
6553 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6554 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6555 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6561 @subsection Article Date
6563 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6564 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6565 when the article was sent.
6570 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6571 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6572 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6573 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6576 @kindex W T i (Summary)
6577 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
6579 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
6580 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
6583 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6584 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6585 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6588 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6589 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6590 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6591 @findex format-time-string
6592 Display the date using a user-defined format
6593 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6594 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6595 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6596 for a list of possible format specs.
6599 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6600 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6601 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
6602 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
6603 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
6604 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). If you want to have this line
6605 updated continually, you can put
6608 (gnus-start-date-timer)
6611 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
6612 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
6616 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6617 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6618 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6619 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
6620 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6621 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6622 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6627 @node Article Signature
6628 @subsection Article Signature
6630 @cindex article signature
6632 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6633 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6634 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6635 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6636 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6637 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6638 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6639 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6640 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6643 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6644 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6645 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6646 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6647 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6648 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6649 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6650 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6653 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6656 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6657 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6662 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6665 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6668 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6669 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6671 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6672 in question is not a signature.
6675 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6676 listed above. Here's an example:
6679 (setq gnus-signature-limit
6680 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
6683 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
6684 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
6685 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
6686 signature after all.
6689 @node Article Commands
6690 @section Article Commands
6697 @kindex A P (Summary)
6698 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6699 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6700 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6701 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6702 run just before printing the buffer.
6707 @node Summary Sorting
6708 @section Summary Sorting
6709 @cindex summary sorting
6711 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6712 can't really see why you'd want that.
6717 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6718 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6719 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6722 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6723 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6724 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6727 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6728 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6729 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6732 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6733 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6734 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6737 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6738 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6739 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6742 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6743 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6744 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6747 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6748 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6749 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6750 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6751 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6755 @node Finding the Parent
6756 @section Finding the Parent
6757 @cindex parent articles
6758 @cindex referring articles
6763 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6764 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6765 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6766 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6767 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6768 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6769 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6770 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6771 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6773 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6774 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6775 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6776 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6777 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6781 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6782 @kindex A R (Summary)
6783 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
6784 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6787 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
6788 @kindex A T (Summary)
6789 Display the full thread where the current article appears
6790 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
6791 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
6792 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
6793 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
6794 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
6795 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
6797 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
6798 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
6799 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
6800 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
6801 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
6802 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
6805 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6806 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6808 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6809 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6810 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6811 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6812 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6813 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6814 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6817 The current select method will be used when fetching by
6818 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
6819 by giving this command a prefix.
6821 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6822 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6823 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6824 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6825 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
6826 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
6829 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6830 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6831 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6832 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6833 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6834 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6837 @node Alternative Approaches
6838 @section Alternative Approaches
6840 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6841 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6844 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6845 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6850 @subsection Pick and Read
6851 @cindex pick and read
6853 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
6854 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
6855 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
6856 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
6858 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6859 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6860 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6861 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6862 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6863 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
6865 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6870 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6871 Pick the article on the current line
6872 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6873 go to that article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
6874 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6877 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6878 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6879 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6880 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6884 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6885 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6889 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6890 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6894 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6895 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6899 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6900 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6904 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6905 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6909 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6910 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6914 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6915 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6919 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6920 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6924 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6925 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6929 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6930 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6934 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6935 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6936 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6937 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6938 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6939 will still be visible when you are reading.
6943 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6946 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6949 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6950 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6952 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6953 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6954 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6956 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6957 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
6958 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6959 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6960 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6961 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6962 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6966 @subsection Binary Groups
6967 @cindex binary groups
6969 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6970 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6971 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6972 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6973 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6974 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6975 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6978 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6979 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
6980 command, when you have turned on this mode
6981 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6983 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6984 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6988 @section Tree Display
6991 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6992 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6993 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6994 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6997 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
7000 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
7001 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
7002 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
7004 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7005 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7006 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
7007 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
7008 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
7010 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
7011 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
7012 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
7013 default is @code{modeline}.
7015 @item gnus-tree-line-format
7016 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
7017 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
7018 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
7019 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
7020 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
7021 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
7027 The name of the poster.
7029 The @code{From} header.
7031 The number of the article.
7033 The opening bracket.
7035 The closing bracket.
7040 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7042 Variables related to the display are:
7045 @item gnus-tree-brackets
7046 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
7047 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
7048 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
7049 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
7050 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
7052 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7053 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7054 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
7055 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
7059 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
7060 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
7061 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
7062 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
7063 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
7064 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
7065 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
7066 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
7067 other windows displayed next to it.
7069 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
7070 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
7071 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7072 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
7073 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
7074 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
7075 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
7079 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
7082 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
7092 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
7096 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
7097 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
7099 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
7101 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
7106 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
7107 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
7108 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
7111 (setq gnus-use-trees t
7112 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7113 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
7114 (gnus-add-configuration
7118 (summary 0.75 point)
7123 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
7126 @node Mail Group Commands
7127 @section Mail Group Commands
7128 @cindex mail group commands
7130 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
7131 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
7133 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
7134 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7139 @kindex B e (Summary)
7140 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
7141 Expire all expirable articles in the group
7142 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
7145 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
7146 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
7147 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
7148 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
7149 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
7150 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
7153 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
7154 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
7155 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
7156 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
7157 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
7158 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
7161 @kindex B m (Summary)
7163 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
7164 Move the article from one mail group to another
7165 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7168 @kindex B c (Summary)
7170 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
7171 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
7172 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
7173 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
7176 @kindex B B (Summary)
7177 @cindex crosspost mail
7178 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
7179 Crosspost the current article to some other group
7180 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
7181 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
7182 be properly updated.
7185 @kindex B i (Summary)
7186 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
7187 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
7188 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
7189 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
7192 @kindex B r (Summary)
7193 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
7194 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7195 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
7196 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
7197 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
7201 @kindex B w (Summary)
7203 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
7204 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
7205 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
7206 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
7207 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
7208 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
7211 @kindex B q (Summary)
7212 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
7213 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
7214 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
7215 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
7218 @kindex B p (Summary)
7219 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
7220 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
7221 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
7222 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
7223 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
7224 article from your news server (or rather, from
7225 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
7226 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
7227 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
7228 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
7229 just not have arrived yet.
7233 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
7234 @cindex moving articles
7235 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
7236 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
7237 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
7238 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
7239 suggestions you find reasonable.
7242 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
7243 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
7244 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
7245 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
7249 @node Various Summary Stuff
7250 @section Various Summary Stuff
7253 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
7254 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
7255 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
7256 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
7260 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
7261 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
7262 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
7264 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
7265 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
7266 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
7267 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
7268 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
7269 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
7272 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7273 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7274 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
7275 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
7276 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
7278 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7279 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7280 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
7281 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
7282 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
7283 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
7284 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
7285 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
7286 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
7287 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
7292 @node Summary Group Information
7293 @subsection Summary Group Information
7298 @kindex H f (Summary)
7299 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
7300 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
7301 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
7302 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
7303 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
7304 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
7305 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
7306 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
7307 be used for fetching the file.
7310 @kindex H d (Summary)
7311 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
7312 Give a brief description of the current group
7313 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
7314 rereading the description from the server.
7317 @kindex H h (Summary)
7318 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
7319 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
7320 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
7323 @kindex H i (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-info-find-node
7325 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7329 @node Searching for Articles
7330 @subsection Searching for Articles
7335 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7336 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7337 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7338 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7341 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7342 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7343 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7344 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7348 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7349 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7350 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7351 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7355 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7356 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7357 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7358 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7361 @node Summary Generation Commands
7362 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7367 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7368 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7369 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7372 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7373 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7374 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
7375 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
7380 @node Really Various Summary Commands
7381 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
7386 @kindex C-d (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
7388 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
7389 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
7390 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
7391 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
7392 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
7393 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
7394 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
7398 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
7399 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
7400 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
7401 several documents into one biiig group
7402 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
7403 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
7404 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
7405 command understands the process/prefix convention
7406 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7409 @kindex C-t (Summary)
7410 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
7411 Toggle truncation of summary lines
7412 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
7413 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
7414 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
7418 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
7419 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
7420 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
7423 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
7424 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
7425 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
7426 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
7431 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
7432 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
7433 @cindex summary exit
7434 @cindex exiting groups
7436 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
7437 group and return you to the group buffer.
7443 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
7445 @findex gnus-summary-exit
7446 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
7447 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
7448 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
7449 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
7450 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
7451 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
7452 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
7453 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
7454 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
7455 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
7459 @kindex Z E (Summary)
7461 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
7462 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
7463 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
7467 @kindex Z c (Summary)
7469 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
7470 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
7471 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
7472 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
7475 @kindex Z C (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
7477 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
7478 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
7481 @kindex Z n (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
7483 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
7484 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
7487 @kindex Z R (Summary)
7488 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
7489 Exit this group, and then enter it again
7490 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
7491 all articles, both read and unread.
7495 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7496 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7497 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7498 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
7499 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7500 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7501 articles, both read and unread.
7504 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7505 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7506 Exit the group and go to the next group
7507 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7510 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7511 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7512 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7513 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7516 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7517 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7518 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7519 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7520 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7521 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7524 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7525 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7528 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7529 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7530 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7531 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7532 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7533 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7534 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7535 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7536 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7537 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7538 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7539 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7541 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7543 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7544 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7545 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7546 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7547 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7548 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7549 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7550 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7551 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7554 @node Crosspost Handling
7555 @section Crosspost Handling
7559 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7560 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7561 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7562 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7563 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7564 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7567 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7568 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7569 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7570 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7571 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7573 @cindex cross-posting
7576 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7577 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7578 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7579 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7580 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7581 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7582 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7583 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7584 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7585 the cross reference mechanism.
7587 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7588 @cindex overview.fmt
7589 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7590 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7591 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7592 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7593 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7594 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7597 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7598 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7599 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7604 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7607 @node Duplicate Suppression
7608 @section Duplicate Suppression
7610 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7611 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7612 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7613 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
7618 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7619 is evil and not very common.
7622 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7623 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7626 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7627 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7630 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7633 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
7634 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7636 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7637 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7638 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7639 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7640 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7641 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7642 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7645 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7646 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7647 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7648 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7649 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7653 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7654 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7655 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7657 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7658 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7659 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7660 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7661 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
7662 session are suppressed.
7664 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7665 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7666 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7667 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7669 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7670 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7671 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
7672 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7675 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7676 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7677 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7678 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7679 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7680 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7681 to you to figure out, I think.
7684 @node The Article Buffer
7685 @chapter The Article Buffer
7686 @cindex article buffer
7688 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7689 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7690 tell Gnus otherwise.
7693 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7694 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7695 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7696 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7697 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7701 @node Hiding Headers
7702 @section Hiding Headers
7703 @cindex hiding headers
7704 @cindex deleting headers
7706 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7707 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7709 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7710 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7711 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7712 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7713 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7714 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7715 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7716 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7717 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7719 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7723 @item gnus-visible-headers
7724 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7725 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7726 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7727 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7729 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7730 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7733 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7736 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7739 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7740 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7741 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7742 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7743 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7744 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7746 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7747 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7750 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7753 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7756 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7757 variable will have no effect.
7761 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7762 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7763 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7764 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7765 the headers are to be displayed.
7767 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7768 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7771 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7774 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7775 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
7777 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7778 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7779 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7780 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7781 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7782 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7783 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7784 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7785 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7787 These conditions are:
7790 Remove all empty headers.
7792 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7795 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7796 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7798 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7801 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7804 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
7806 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
7809 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7812 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7813 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7816 This is also the default value for this variable.
7820 @section Using @sc{mime}
7823 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7824 while people stand around yawning.
7826 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7827 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7829 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7830 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7831 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7833 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7834 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7835 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7836 @findex metamail-buffer
7837 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7838 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7839 default. This function calls the external @code{metamail} program to
7840 actually do the work. One common problem with this program is that is
7841 thinks that it can't display 8-bit things in the Emacs buffer. To tell
7842 it the truth, put something like the following in your
7843 @file{.bash_profile} file. (You do use @code{bash}, don't you?)
7846 export MM_CHARSET="iso-8859-1"
7849 For more information on @code{metamail}, see its manual page.
7851 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7852 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7853 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7854 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7855 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7856 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7858 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7859 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7860 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7861 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7862 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7863 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7864 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7865 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7866 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7868 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7871 @node Customizing Articles
7872 @section Customizing Articles
7873 @cindex article customization
7875 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7876 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7877 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7878 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7880 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7881 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7882 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7883 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7884 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7885 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7886 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7887 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7888 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7890 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7891 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7892 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7893 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7894 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7897 @node Article Keymap
7898 @section Article Keymap
7900 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7901 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7902 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7903 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7906 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7911 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7912 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7913 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7916 @kindex DEL (Article)
7917 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7918 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7921 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7922 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7923 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7924 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7925 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7928 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7929 @findex gnus-article-mail
7930 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7931 given a prefix, include the mail.
7935 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7936 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7937 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7941 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7942 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7943 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7946 @kindex TAB (Article)
7947 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7948 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
7949 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7952 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7953 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7954 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
7960 @section Misc Article
7964 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7965 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7966 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7967 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7970 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7971 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7972 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7973 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7974 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7975 the contents of the article buffer.
7977 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7978 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7979 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7980 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7981 hiding headers, and the like.
7983 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7984 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7985 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7987 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7988 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7989 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7990 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7992 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7993 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7994 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7995 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
7996 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
8001 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
8002 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
8006 @vindex gnus-break-pages
8008 @item gnus-break-pages
8009 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
8010 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
8011 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
8012 paging will not be done.
8014 @item gnus-page-delimiter
8015 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
8016 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
8021 @node Composing Messages
8022 @chapter Composing Messages
8023 @cindex composing messages
8026 @cindex sending mail
8031 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
8032 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
8033 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
8034 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
8035 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
8036 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
8037 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
8040 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
8041 * Post:: Posting and following up.
8042 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
8043 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
8044 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
8045 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
8046 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
8049 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
8050 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
8056 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
8059 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
8060 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
8061 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
8062 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
8064 @item gnus-add-to-list
8065 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
8066 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
8067 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
8075 Variables for composing news articles:
8078 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8079 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8080 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
8081 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
8082 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
8083 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
8084 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
8085 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
8086 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
8089 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8090 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8091 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
8092 file. It is 1000 by default.
8097 @node Posting Server
8098 @section Posting Server
8100 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
8101 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
8103 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
8105 @vindex gnus-post-method
8107 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
8108 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
8109 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
8110 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
8111 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
8114 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
8117 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
8118 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
8119 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
8120 the ``current'' server for posting.
8122 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
8123 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
8125 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
8126 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
8129 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
8130 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
8131 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
8136 @section Mail and Post
8138 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
8142 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
8143 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
8144 @cindex mailing lists
8146 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
8147 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
8148 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
8149 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
8150 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
8151 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
8152 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
8153 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
8154 still a pain, though.
8158 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
8159 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
8160 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
8163 @findex ispell-message
8165 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
8169 @node Archived Messages
8170 @section Archived Messages
8171 @cindex archived messages
8172 @cindex sent messages
8174 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
8175 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
8176 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
8177 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
8180 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
8181 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
8182 use to store sent messages. The default is:
8186 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
8187 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
8188 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
8189 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
8192 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
8193 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
8194 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
8195 directory chosen, you could say something like:
8198 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
8199 '(nnfolder "archive"
8200 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
8201 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
8202 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
8205 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
8207 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
8208 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
8209 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
8211 This variable can be used to do the following:
8215 Messages will be saved in that group.
8216 @item a list of strings
8217 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
8218 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
8219 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
8221 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
8226 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
8228 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
8231 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
8233 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
8236 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
8238 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8239 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
8240 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
8241 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
8246 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8247 '((if (message-news-p)
8252 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
8253 messages in one file per month:
8256 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8257 '((if (message-news-p)
8259 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
8260 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
8263 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
8264 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
8266 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
8267 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
8268 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
8269 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
8270 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
8271 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
8272 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
8273 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
8274 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
8275 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
8277 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
8278 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
8279 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
8280 this will disable archiving.
8283 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
8284 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
8285 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
8286 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
8287 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
8290 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
8291 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
8292 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
8295 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
8296 but the latter is the preferred method.
8300 @c @node Posting Styles
8301 @c @section Posting Styles
8302 @c @cindex posting styles
8305 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
8307 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
8308 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
8309 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
8312 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
8313 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
8314 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
8315 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
8316 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
8321 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
8322 @c (organization . "What me?"))
8324 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
8325 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
8326 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
8329 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
8330 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
8331 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
8332 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
8333 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
8334 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
8335 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
8336 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
8338 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
8339 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
8340 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
8341 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
8342 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
8343 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
8346 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
8347 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
8348 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
8349 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
8350 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
8353 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
8354 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
8355 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
8357 @c So here's a new example:
8360 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
8362 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
8363 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
8364 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
8365 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
8367 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
8368 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
8369 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
8370 @c (posting-from-work-p
8371 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
8372 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
8373 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
8375 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
8382 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
8383 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
8384 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
8385 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
8386 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
8388 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
8389 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
8390 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
8391 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
8392 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
8396 @vindex nndraft-directory
8397 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
8398 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
8399 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
8400 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
8401 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
8402 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
8404 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
8405 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
8408 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
8409 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
8410 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
8411 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
8412 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
8413 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
8414 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
8415 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
8416 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
8417 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
8418 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
8419 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
8420 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
8421 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
8423 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
8424 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
8425 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
8427 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
8429 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
8430 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
8431 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
8433 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
8436 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
8437 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
8438 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
8439 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
8440 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
8441 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
8442 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
8445 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
8446 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
8447 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
8450 @node Rejected Articles
8451 @section Rejected Articles
8452 @cindex rejected articles
8454 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
8455 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
8456 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
8457 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
8459 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
8460 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
8461 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
8462 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
8463 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
8465 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
8466 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
8467 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
8470 @node Select Methods
8471 @chapter Select Methods
8472 @cindex foreign groups
8473 @cindex select methods
8475 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
8476 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
8477 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
8478 personal mail group.
8480 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
8481 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
8482 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
8483 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
8484 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
8485 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
8487 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
8488 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
8490 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
8493 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
8494 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
8495 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
8496 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
8497 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
8499 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
8502 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
8503 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
8504 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
8505 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
8506 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
8507 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
8511 @node The Server Buffer
8512 @section The Server Buffer
8514 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
8515 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
8516 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
8517 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
8518 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
8519 backend represents a virtual server.
8521 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
8522 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
8523 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
8524 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
8526 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
8527 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8528 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8529 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8530 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8531 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8532 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8534 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
8535 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8538 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8539 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8540 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8541 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8542 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8543 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8544 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8547 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8548 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8551 @node Server Buffer Format
8552 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8553 @cindex server buffer format
8555 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8556 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8557 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8558 variable, with some simple extensions:
8563 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8566 The name of this server.
8569 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8572 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8575 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8576 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8577 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
8578 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
8588 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
8591 @node Server Commands
8592 @subsection Server Commands
8593 @cindex server commands
8599 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8600 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8604 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8605 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8608 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8609 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8610 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8614 @findex gnus-server-exit
8615 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8619 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8620 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8624 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8625 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8629 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8630 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8634 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8635 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8639 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8640 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8641 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8646 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8647 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8648 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8649 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8654 @node Example Methods
8655 @subsection Example Methods
8657 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8660 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8663 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8669 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8670 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8673 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
8674 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8676 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8677 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
8681 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8684 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8685 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
8687 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8688 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8689 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8693 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8696 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8699 Here's the method for a public spool:
8703 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8704 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8707 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8708 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8709 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8710 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8711 should probably look something like this:
8715 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8716 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8717 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8718 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8719 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8722 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
8723 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
8724 server that would look something like this:
8728 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
8729 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
8730 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8731 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8732 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8733 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
8736 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
8737 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
8738 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
8739 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
8742 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8743 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8745 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8746 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8748 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8749 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8750 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8752 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8754 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8755 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8756 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8757 will contain the following:
8767 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8768 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8769 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8772 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8773 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8774 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8777 @node Server Variables
8778 @subsection Server Variables
8780 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8781 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8782 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8783 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8784 won't change the "derived" variables.
8786 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8787 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8788 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8789 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8790 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8791 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8792 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8793 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8794 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8798 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8799 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8800 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8804 @node Servers and Methods
8805 @subsection Servers and Methods
8807 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8808 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8809 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8810 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8814 @node Unavailable Servers
8815 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8817 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8818 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8819 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8820 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8821 actually the case or not.
8823 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8824 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
8825 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8826 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
8827 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
8828 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
8829 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
8830 it will regard that server as ``down''.
8832 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8833 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8835 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8836 with the following commands:
8842 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8843 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8844 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8848 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8849 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8850 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8854 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8855 Mark the current server as unreachable
8856 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8859 @kindex M-o (Server)
8860 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8861 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8862 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8865 @kindex M-c (Server)
8866 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8867 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8868 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8872 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8873 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
8874 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8880 @section Getting News
8881 @cindex reading news
8882 @cindex news backends
8884 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8885 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8886 or it can read from a local spool.
8889 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8890 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8895 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8898 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8899 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8900 server as the, uhm, address.
8902 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8903 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8904 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8905 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8907 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8908 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8909 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8911 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8916 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8917 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8918 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8920 @cindex authentification
8921 @cindex nntp authentification
8922 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8923 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8924 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
8925 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
8926 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
8927 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
8928 present in this hook.
8930 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8931 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8932 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8933 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
8934 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8935 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
8936 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
8937 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
8938 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
8939 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
8940 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
8941 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
8945 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
8948 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
8949 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password}, and
8950 @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp}
8951 token, which is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format deviates
8952 from the @file{.netrc} file format.)
8956 Here's an example file:
8959 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
8960 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
8963 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
8964 have to be first, for instance.
8966 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
8967 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
8968 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
8969 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
8970 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
8971 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
8972 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
8974 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
8976 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8977 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8978 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8979 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8980 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8983 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8987 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8989 The default value is
8992 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8993 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8996 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8997 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8999 @item nntp-maximum-request
9000 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
9001 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
9002 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
9003 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
9004 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
9005 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
9006 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
9008 @c @item nntp-connection-timeout
9009 @c @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
9010 @c If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
9011 @c regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
9012 @c responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
9013 @c time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
9014 @c somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
9015 @c that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
9016 @c connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
9017 @c no timeouts are done.
9019 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
9020 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
9021 @c @cindex PPP connections
9022 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
9023 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
9024 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
9025 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
9026 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
9027 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
9028 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
9029 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
9030 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
9031 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
9033 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
9034 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
9035 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
9036 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
9039 @item nntp-server-hook
9040 @vindex nntp-server-hook
9041 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
9044 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
9045 @findex nntp-open-telnet
9046 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
9047 @item nntp-open-connection-function
9048 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
9049 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
9050 functions are supplied:
9053 @item nntp-open-network-stream
9054 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
9057 @item nntp-open-rlogin
9058 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
9059 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
9062 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
9066 @item nntp-rlogin-program
9067 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
9068 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
9069 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
9071 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
9072 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
9073 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
9075 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9076 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9077 User name on the remote system.
9081 @item nntp-open-telnet
9082 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
9083 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
9085 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
9088 @item nntp-telnet-command
9089 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
9090 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
9092 @item nntp-telnet-switches
9093 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
9094 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
9096 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
9097 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
9098 User name for log in on the remote system.
9100 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
9101 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
9102 Password to use when logging in.
9104 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
9105 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
9106 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
9109 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9110 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9111 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
9112 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
9114 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9115 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9116 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
9117 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
9118 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
9122 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
9123 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
9124 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
9125 you must have SSLay installed
9126 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
9127 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
9128 define a server as follows:
9131 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
9133 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
9135 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
9136 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
9137 (nntp-port-number "snews")
9138 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
9143 @item nntp-end-of-line
9144 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
9145 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
9146 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
9147 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
9149 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9150 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9151 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
9155 @vindex nntp-address
9156 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
9158 @item nntp-port-number
9159 @vindex nntp-port-number
9160 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
9163 @item nntp-buggy-select
9164 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
9165 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
9167 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
9168 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
9169 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
9170 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
9173 @item nntp-xover-commands
9174 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
9177 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
9178 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
9182 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
9183 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
9184 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
9185 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
9186 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
9187 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
9188 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
9189 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
9190 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
9191 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
9192 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
9194 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
9195 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
9196 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
9198 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9199 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9200 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
9201 server closes connection.
9203 @item nntp-record-commands
9204 @vindex nntp-record-commands
9205 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
9206 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
9207 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
9208 that doesn't seem to work.
9214 @subsection News Spool
9218 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
9219 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
9220 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
9223 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
9224 anything else) as the address.
9226 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
9227 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
9228 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
9229 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
9233 @item nnspool-inews-program
9234 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
9235 Program used to post an article.
9237 @item nnspool-inews-switches
9238 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
9239 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
9241 @item nnspool-spool-directory
9242 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
9243 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
9244 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
9246 @item nnspool-nov-directory
9247 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
9248 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
9249 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
9251 @item nnspool-lib-dir
9252 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
9253 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
9255 @item nnspool-active-file
9256 @vindex nnspool-active-file
9257 The path to the active file.
9259 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
9260 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
9261 The path to the group descriptions file.
9263 @item nnspool-history-file
9264 @vindex nnspool-history-file
9265 The path to the news history file.
9267 @item nnspool-active-times-file
9268 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
9269 The path to the active date file.
9271 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
9272 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
9273 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
9276 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9277 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9279 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
9280 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
9281 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
9287 @section Getting Mail
9288 @cindex reading mail
9291 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
9295 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
9296 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
9297 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
9298 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
9299 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
9300 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
9301 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
9302 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
9303 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
9304 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
9305 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
9309 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
9310 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
9312 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
9313 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
9314 and things will happen automatically.
9316 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
9317 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
9320 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
9321 '((nnml "private")))
9324 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
9325 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
9326 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
9327 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
9328 like any other group.
9330 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
9333 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9334 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9335 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9339 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
9340 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
9341 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
9344 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
9345 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
9346 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
9349 @node Splitting Mail
9350 @subsection Splitting Mail
9351 @cindex splitting mail
9352 @cindex mail splitting
9354 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
9355 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
9356 to be split into groups.
9359 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9360 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9361 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9365 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
9366 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
9367 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
9368 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
9369 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
9370 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
9371 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
9374 ("list.\\1" "From:.*\\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
9377 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
9378 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
9381 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
9382 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
9383 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
9384 mail belongs in that group.
9386 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
9387 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
9388 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
9389 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
9390 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
9391 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
9393 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
9394 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
9395 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
9396 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
9397 thinks should carry this mail message.
9399 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
9400 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
9401 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
9402 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
9404 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
9405 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
9406 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
9407 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
9408 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
9410 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
9413 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
9414 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
9415 links. If that's the case for you, set
9416 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
9417 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
9419 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
9420 @kindex nnmail-split-history
9421 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
9422 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
9424 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
9425 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
9426 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
9427 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
9428 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
9429 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
9430 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
9431 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
9435 @node Mail Backend Variables
9436 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
9438 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
9442 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
9443 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
9444 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
9445 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
9447 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
9448 @item nnmail-spool-file
9452 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
9453 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
9454 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
9455 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
9456 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
9457 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
9458 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
9459 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
9460 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
9461 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
9462 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
9463 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
9464 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
9465 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
9466 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
9468 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
9470 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
9471 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
9474 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
9475 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
9476 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
9477 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
9478 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
9479 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
9481 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
9482 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9483 @item nnmail-use-procmail
9484 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
9485 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
9486 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
9487 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
9490 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
9491 @item nnmail-crash-box
9492 When a mail backend reads a spool file, mail is first moved to this
9493 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
9494 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
9497 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9498 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9499 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
9500 used for, well, anything, really.
9502 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
9503 @item nnmail-split-hook
9504 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
9505 @findex RFC1522 decoding
9506 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
9507 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
9508 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
9509 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
9510 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
9511 is one likely function to add to this hook.
9513 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9514 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9515 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9516 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9517 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
9518 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
9519 starting to handle the new mail) and
9520 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
9521 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
9522 default file modes the new mail files get:
9525 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9526 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
9528 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
9529 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
9532 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
9533 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
9534 This variable says where to move incoming mail to -- while processing
9535 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
9536 inhabits (e.g., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
9537 it will be used instead.
9539 @item nnmail-movemail-program
9540 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
9541 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
9542 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
9544 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
9545 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
9548 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
9549 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
9550 @cindex incoming mail files
9551 @cindex deleting incoming files
9552 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
9553 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
9556 @c This is @code{nil} by
9557 @c default for reasons of security.
9559 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
9560 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
9561 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
9562 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not
9563 to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
9566 You may delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
9568 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
9569 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
9570 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
9571 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
9572 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
9573 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
9574 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
9576 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
9577 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
9579 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
9581 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9582 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9583 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
9584 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
9585 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
9590 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
9591 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
9592 @cindex mail splitting
9593 @cindex fancy mail splitting
9595 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
9596 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
9597 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
9598 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
9599 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
9600 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
9602 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
9605 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
9606 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
9607 ;; from real errors.
9608 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
9610 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
9611 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
9612 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
9613 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
9614 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
9615 ;; Other mailing lists...
9616 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
9617 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
9619 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
9620 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
9624 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
9625 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
9626 the five possible split syntaxes:
9631 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
9632 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
9636 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
9637 which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
9638 header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
9641 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9642 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
9643 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
9644 be stored in one or more groups.
9647 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9648 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
9651 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
9655 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9656 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
9657 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
9662 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
9663 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
9664 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
9665 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
9666 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
9668 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
9669 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
9670 are expanded as specified by the variable
9671 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
9672 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
9675 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
9676 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
9677 when all this splitting is performed.
9679 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
9680 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
9681 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
9684 (any "debian-\\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
9687 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
9688 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\1}
9689 up to @samp{\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
9690 groupings 1 through 9.
9693 @node Mail and Procmail
9694 @subsection Mail and Procmail
9699 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
9700 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
9701 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
9702 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
9703 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
9705 If you have a combined @code{procmail}/POP/mailbox setup, you can do
9706 something like the following:
9708 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
9710 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
9711 (setq nnmail-spool-file
9712 '("/usr/spool/mail/my-name" "po:my-name"))
9715 This also means that you probably don't want to set
9716 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
9719 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
9720 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
9721 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends, except
9722 @code{nnmh}, actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
9723 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
9724 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
9726 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) by hand what
9729 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example:
9731 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
9732 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
9734 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
9735 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
9736 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
9737 to include all your mail groups.
9739 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
9740 method will be created automatically.
9742 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9743 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
9744 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
9745 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
9746 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
9747 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
9748 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
9749 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
9751 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
9752 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
9753 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
9754 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
9755 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
9757 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9758 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directly into an @code{nnmh}
9759 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
9760 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9761 ever expiring the final article (i.e., the article with the highest
9762 article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
9764 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9765 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming
9766 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9767 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9768 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9771 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9772 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9773 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9774 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9775 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9779 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9780 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9782 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9783 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9784 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9787 Doing so can be quite easy.
9789 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9790 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9791 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9792 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9793 your @code{nnml} groups.
9799 Go to the group buffer.
9802 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
9803 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9806 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9809 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
9810 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
9813 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9814 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9817 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9818 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9819 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9820 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9821 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9823 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9824 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9825 using the new mail backend.
9829 @subsection Expiring Mail
9830 @cindex article expiry
9832 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9833 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9834 different approach to mail reading.
9836 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9837 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9838 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9839 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9840 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9841 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9844 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9845 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9846 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9847 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9848 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9849 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9850 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9851 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9853 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9854 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9855 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9856 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9857 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9858 column in the summary buffer.
9860 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
9861 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
9862 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
9863 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
9866 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
9868 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
9869 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
9870 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
9873 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
9874 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
9875 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9876 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9877 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9879 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9880 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9883 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9884 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9887 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9888 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9890 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9891 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9892 don't really mix very well.
9894 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9895 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9896 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
9897 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
9900 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9901 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9902 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9903 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9906 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9908 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9910 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9912 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9914 ((string= group "important")
9920 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9921 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9923 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9924 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
9925 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
9928 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9929 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9931 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9932 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9933 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9934 easier for procmail users.
9936 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9937 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9938 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9939 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9940 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9941 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9942 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9943 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9944 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9945 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9946 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9947 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9948 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9951 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9955 @subsection Washing Mail
9956 @cindex mail washing
9957 @cindex list server brain damage
9958 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9960 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9961 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9962 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9963 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9964 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9965 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9967 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9968 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9969 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9972 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9973 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9974 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9975 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9978 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9979 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9980 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9981 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9984 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9985 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9986 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9987 Emacs running on MS machines.
9991 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9992 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9993 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9994 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9997 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9998 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9999 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
10000 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
10002 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
10003 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
10004 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
10005 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
10006 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
10007 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
10008 also be a list of regexp.
10010 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
10011 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
10014 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
10015 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
10018 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
10019 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
10020 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
10024 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10025 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10026 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
10030 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
10031 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
10032 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
10039 @subsection Duplicates
10041 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
10042 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
10043 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
10044 @cindex duplicate mails
10045 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
10046 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
10047 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
10048 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
10049 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
10050 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
10051 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
10052 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
10053 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
10054 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
10055 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
10056 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
10057 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
10059 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
10060 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
10061 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
10062 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
10064 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
10067 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
10068 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
10072 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
10073 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
10074 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
10075 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
10076 (any mail "mail.misc")
10083 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10084 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
10089 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
10090 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
10091 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
10092 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
10093 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
10096 @node Not Reading Mail
10097 @subsection Not Reading Mail
10099 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
10100 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
10101 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
10103 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
10104 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
10106 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10107 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10108 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10109 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10110 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10111 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
10112 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
10113 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
10114 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
10115 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
10116 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
10118 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
10119 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
10123 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
10124 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
10126 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
10127 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
10128 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
10131 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
10132 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
10133 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
10134 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
10135 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
10139 @node Unix Mail Box
10140 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
10142 @cindex unix mail box
10144 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10145 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10146 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
10147 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
10148 which group it belongs in.
10150 Virtual server settings:
10153 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
10154 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10155 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
10157 @item nnmbox-active-file
10158 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10159 The name of the active file for the mail box.
10161 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
10162 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10163 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
10169 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
10173 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10174 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10175 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
10176 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
10177 article to say which group it belongs in.
10179 Virtual server settings:
10182 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
10183 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10184 The name of the rmail mbox file.
10186 @item nnbabyl-active-file
10187 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10188 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
10190 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10191 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10192 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
10197 @subsubsection Mail Spool
10199 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
10201 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
10202 format. It should be used with some caution.
10204 @vindex nnml-directory
10205 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
10206 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
10207 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
10208 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
10210 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
10213 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
10214 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
10215 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
10216 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
10217 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
10218 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
10219 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
10220 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
10222 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
10223 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
10224 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
10225 backend when it comes to reading mail.
10227 Virtual server settings:
10230 @item nnml-directory
10231 @vindex nnml-directory
10232 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
10234 @item nnml-active-file
10235 @vindex nnml-active-file
10236 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
10238 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
10239 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
10240 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
10243 @item nnml-get-new-mail
10244 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10245 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
10247 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
10248 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
10249 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
10251 @item nnml-nov-file-name
10252 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
10253 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
10255 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10256 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10257 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
10261 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
10262 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
10263 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
10264 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
10265 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
10266 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
10267 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
10272 @subsubsection MH Spool
10274 @cindex mh-e mail spool
10276 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
10277 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
10278 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
10279 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
10281 Virtual server settings:
10284 @item nnmh-directory
10285 @vindex nnmh-directory
10286 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
10288 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
10289 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10290 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
10293 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
10294 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
10295 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
10296 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
10297 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
10298 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
10299 to set this variable to @code{t}.
10304 @subsubsection Mail Folders
10306 @cindex mbox folders
10307 @cindex mail folders
10309 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
10310 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
10311 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
10314 Virtual server settings:
10317 @item nnfolder-directory
10318 @vindex nnfolder-directory
10319 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
10321 @item nnfolder-active-file
10322 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
10323 The name of the active file.
10325 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10326 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10327 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
10329 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
10330 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10331 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
10334 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
10335 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
10336 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
10337 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
10338 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
10339 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
10342 @node Other Sources
10343 @section Other Sources
10345 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
10346 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
10350 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
10351 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
10352 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
10353 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
10354 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
10355 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
10359 @node Directory Groups
10360 @subsection Directory Groups
10362 @cindex directory groups
10364 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
10365 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
10368 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
10369 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
10370 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
10371 backend to read directories. Big deal.
10373 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
10374 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
10375 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
10376 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
10377 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
10379 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
10381 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
10382 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
10383 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
10384 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
10387 @node Anything Groups
10388 @subsection Anything Groups
10391 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
10392 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
10393 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
10396 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
10397 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
10398 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
10399 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
10400 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
10401 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
10402 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
10403 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
10404 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
10405 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
10408 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
10409 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
10410 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
10411 in the article buffer, just as usual.
10413 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
10414 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
10415 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
10416 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
10418 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
10419 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
10420 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
10421 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
10422 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
10423 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
10424 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
10425 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
10430 @item nneething-map-file-directory
10431 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
10432 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
10433 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
10435 @item nneething-exclude-files
10436 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
10437 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
10438 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
10440 @item nneething-map-file
10441 @vindex nneething-map-file
10442 Name of the map files.
10446 @node Document Groups
10447 @subsection Document Groups
10449 @cindex documentation group
10452 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
10453 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
10460 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
10465 The standard Unix mbox file.
10467 @cindex MMDF mail box
10469 The MMDF mail box format.
10472 Several news articles appended into a file.
10475 @cindex rnews batch files
10476 The rnews batch transport format.
10477 @cindex forwarded messages
10480 Forwarded articles.
10484 @cindex MIME digest
10485 @cindex 1153 digest
10486 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
10487 @cindex RFC 341 digest
10488 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
10490 @item standard-digest
10491 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
10494 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
10497 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
10498 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
10499 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
10502 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
10503 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
10504 group. And that's it.
10506 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
10507 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
10508 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
10509 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
10510 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
10511 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
10512 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
10513 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
10514 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
10515 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
10517 Virtual server variables:
10520 @item nndoc-article-type
10521 @vindex nndoc-article-type
10522 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
10523 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
10524 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{standard-digest},
10525 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or @code{guess}.
10527 @item nndoc-post-type
10528 @vindex nndoc-post-type
10529 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
10530 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
10535 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
10539 @node Document Server Internals
10540 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
10542 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
10543 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
10544 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
10545 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
10547 First, here's an example document type definition:
10551 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
10552 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
10555 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
10556 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
10557 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
10558 types can be defined with very few settings:
10561 @item first-article
10562 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
10563 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
10566 @item article-begin
10567 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
10568 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
10570 @item head-begin-function
10571 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
10574 @item nndoc-head-begin
10575 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
10578 @item nndoc-head-end
10579 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
10580 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
10582 @item body-begin-function
10583 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
10587 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
10590 @item body-end-function
10591 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
10595 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
10598 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
10599 regexp will be totally ignored.
10603 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
10604 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
10605 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
10606 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
10607 something that's palatable for Gnus:
10610 @item prepare-body-function
10611 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
10612 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
10613 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
10615 @item article-transform-function
10616 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
10617 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
10618 body of the article.
10620 @item generate-head-function
10621 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
10622 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
10623 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
10624 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
10628 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
10633 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10634 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10635 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
10636 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
10637 (head-end . "^ ?$")
10638 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
10639 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
10640 (subtype digest guess))
10643 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
10644 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
10645 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
10646 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
10647 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
10649 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
10650 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
10651 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
10652 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
10653 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
10654 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
10655 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
10656 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
10657 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
10658 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
10666 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
10667 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
10668 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
10670 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
10671 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
10672 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
10675 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
10676 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
10677 that interested in doing things properly.
10679 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
10680 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
10683 First some terminology:
10688 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
10689 get news and/or mail from.
10692 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
10693 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
10696 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
10700 @item message packets
10701 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
10702 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
10703 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10705 @item response packets
10706 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
10707 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
10708 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10718 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
10719 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
10720 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
10721 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
10724 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
10727 You put the packet in your home directory.
10730 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
10731 the native or secondary server.
10734 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
10735 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
10738 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
10742 You transfer this packet to the server.
10745 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
10748 You then repeat until you die.
10752 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
10753 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
10756 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
10757 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
10758 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
10762 @node SOUP Commands
10763 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
10765 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
10769 @kindex G s b (Group)
10770 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
10771 Pack all unread articles in the current group
10772 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
10773 process/prefix convention.
10776 @kindex G s w (Group)
10777 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10778 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10781 @kindex G s s (Group)
10782 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10783 Send all replies from the replies packet
10784 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10787 @kindex G s p (Group)
10788 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10789 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10792 @kindex G s r (Group)
10793 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10794 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10797 @kindex O s (Summary)
10798 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10799 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10800 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10801 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10806 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10811 @item gnus-soup-directory
10812 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10813 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10814 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10816 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10817 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10818 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10819 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10821 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10822 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10823 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10824 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10826 @item gnus-soup-packer
10827 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10828 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10829 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10831 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10832 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10833 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10834 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10836 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10837 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10838 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10840 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10841 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10842 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10843 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10849 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10852 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10853 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10854 you can read them at leisure.
10856 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10860 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10861 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10862 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10863 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10865 @item nnsoup-directory
10866 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10867 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10868 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10870 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10871 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10872 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
10873 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10875 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10876 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10877 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10878 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10879 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10881 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10882 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10883 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
10884 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10886 @item nnsoup-active-file
10887 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10888 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10889 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10890 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10891 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10893 @item nnsoup-packer
10894 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10895 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10896 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10898 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10899 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10900 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10901 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10903 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10904 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10905 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10908 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10909 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10910 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10913 @item nnsoup-always-save
10914 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
10915 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
10921 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10923 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10924 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10925 more for that to happen.
10927 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10928 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10929 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10932 In specific, this is what it does:
10935 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10936 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10939 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10940 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10941 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10945 @subsection Web Searches
10949 @cindex InReference
10950 @cindex Usenet searches
10951 @cindex searching the Usenet
10953 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10954 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10955 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10956 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10957 searches without having to use a browser.
10959 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10960 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10961 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10962 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10963 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10965 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10966 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10967 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10968 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10969 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
10970 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10971 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10972 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10973 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10974 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
10977 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10978 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10979 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10980 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10981 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10982 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10984 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10985 to use @code{nnweb}.
10987 Virtual server variables:
10992 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10993 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
10997 @vindex nnweb-search
10998 The search string to feed to the search engine.
11000 @item nnweb-max-hits
11001 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
11002 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
11005 @item nnweb-type-definition
11006 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
11007 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
11008 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
11013 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
11017 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
11020 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
11023 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
11027 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
11034 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
11035 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
11036 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
11039 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
11040 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
11041 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
11043 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
11049 @item nngateway-address
11050 @vindex nngateway-address
11051 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
11053 @item nngateway-header-transformation
11054 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
11055 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
11056 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
11057 transformation should be called, and defaults to
11058 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
11059 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
11062 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
11063 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
11064 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
11067 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
11070 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
11073 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
11076 The following pre-defined functions exist:
11078 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11081 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11082 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11083 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
11085 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11087 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11088 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11089 @code{nngateway-address}.
11094 (setq gnus-post-method
11095 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
11096 (nngateway-header-transformation
11097 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
11105 So, to use this, simply say something like:
11108 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
11112 @node Combined Groups
11113 @section Combined Groups
11115 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
11119 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
11120 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
11124 @node Virtual Groups
11125 @subsection Virtual Groups
11127 @cindex virtual groups
11129 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
11132 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
11133 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
11134 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
11136 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
11137 regexp to match component groups.
11139 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
11140 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
11141 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
11142 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
11143 the virtual group.)
11145 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
11146 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
11149 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
11152 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
11153 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
11155 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
11156 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
11157 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
11158 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
11161 "^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
11164 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
11165 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
11166 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
11168 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
11169 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
11170 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
11171 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
11172 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
11174 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
11175 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
11176 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
11178 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
11179 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
11180 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
11181 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
11182 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
11183 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
11184 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
11185 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
11186 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
11187 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
11188 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
11191 @node Kibozed Groups
11192 @subsection Kibozed Groups
11196 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
11197 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
11198 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
11199 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
11201 @kindex G k (Group)
11202 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
11205 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
11206 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
11207 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
11208 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
11210 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
11211 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
11212 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
11214 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
11215 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
11216 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
11217 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
11218 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
11219 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
11220 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
11221 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
11223 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
11224 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
11225 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
11226 Stranger things have happened.
11228 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
11229 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
11231 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
11232 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
11233 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
11234 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
11235 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
11236 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
11238 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
11239 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
11242 @node Gnus Unplugged
11243 @section Gnus Unplugged
11248 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
11250 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
11251 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
11252 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
11253 read news. Believe it or not.
11255 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
11256 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
11257 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
11258 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
11259 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
11261 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
11262 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
11263 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
11264 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
11265 reading news on a machine.
11267 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
11271 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
11272 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
11276 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
11277 @file{.gnus.el} file:
11284 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
11286 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
11289 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
11290 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
11291 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
11292 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
11293 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
11294 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
11295 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
11296 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
11301 @subsection Agent Basics
11303 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
11305 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
11306 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
11307 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
11308 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
11310 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
11311 connected to the net continuously.
11313 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
11314 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
11316 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
11321 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
11322 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
11323 already fetched while in this mode.
11326 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
11327 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
11328 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
11331 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
11332 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
11333 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
11334 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
11337 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
11338 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
11339 then you read the news offline.
11342 And then you go to step 2.
11345 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
11351 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
11352 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
11353 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
11354 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
11355 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
11356 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
11359 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}
11366 @node Agent Categories
11367 @subsection Agent Categories
11369 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
11370 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
11371 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
11372 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
11373 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
11374 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
11375 you're interested in the articles anyway.
11377 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
11378 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
11379 Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories.
11382 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
11383 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
11384 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
11388 @node Category Syntax
11389 @subsubsection Category Syntax
11391 A category consists of two things.
11395 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
11396 are eligible for downloading; and
11399 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
11400 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
11401 score} is wholly unrelated to normal scores.)
11404 A predicate consists of predicates with logical operators sprinkled in
11407 Perhaps some examples are in order.
11409 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
11410 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
11416 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
11417 short (for some value of ``short'').
11419 Here's a more complex predicate:
11428 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
11429 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
11432 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
11433 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
11434 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
11436 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
11437 you want to do, you can write your own.
11441 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
11442 lines; default 100.
11445 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
11446 lines; default 200.
11449 True iff the article has a download score less than
11450 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
11453 True iff the article has a download score greater than
11454 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
11457 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
11458 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
11459 checksum and sees whether articles match.
11468 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
11469 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
11470 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
11473 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
11474 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
11475 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
11476 following headers can be scored on: @code{From}, @code{Subject},
11477 @code{Date}, @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars}, @code{Message-ID},
11478 and @code{References}.
11481 @node The Category Buffer
11482 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
11484 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
11485 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
11486 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
11488 The following commands are available in this buffer:
11492 @kindex q (Category)
11493 @findex gnus-category-exit
11494 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
11497 @kindex k (Category)
11498 @findex gnus-category-kill
11499 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
11502 @kindex c (Category)
11503 @findex gnus-category-copy
11504 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
11507 @kindex a (Category)
11508 @findex gnus-category-add
11509 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
11512 @kindex p (Category)
11513 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
11514 Edit the predicate of the current category
11515 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
11518 @kindex g (Category)
11519 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
11520 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
11521 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
11524 @kindex s (Category)
11525 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
11526 Edit the download score rule of the current category
11527 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
11530 @kindex l (Category)
11531 @findex gnus-category-list
11532 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
11536 @node Category Variables
11537 @subsubsection Category Variables
11540 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
11541 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
11542 Hook run in category buffers.
11544 @item gnus-category-line-format
11545 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
11546 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
11547 Variables}). Legal elements are:
11551 The name of the category.
11554 The number of groups in the category.
11557 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
11558 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
11559 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
11561 @item gnus-agent-short-article
11562 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
11563 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
11565 @item gnus-agent-long-article
11566 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
11567 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
11569 @item gnus-agent-low-score
11570 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
11571 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
11574 @item gnus-agent-high-score
11575 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
11576 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
11582 @node Agent Commands
11583 @subsection Agent Commands
11585 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
11586 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
11587 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
11591 * Group Agent Commands::
11592 * Summary Agent Commands::
11593 * Server Agent Commands::
11596 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
11597 following incantation:
11599 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
11601 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
11606 @node Group Agent Commands
11607 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
11611 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
11612 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
11613 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
11614 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
11617 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
11618 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
11619 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
11622 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
11623 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
11624 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
11625 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
11628 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
11629 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
11630 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
11631 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts}
11634 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
11635 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
11636 Add the current group to an Agent category
11637 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}).
11642 @node Summary Agent Commands
11643 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
11647 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
11648 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
11649 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
11652 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
11653 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
11654 Remove the downloading mark from the article
11655 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
11658 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
11659 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
11660 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
11663 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
11664 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
11665 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
11670 @node Server Agent Commands
11671 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
11675 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
11676 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
11677 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
11678 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
11681 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
11682 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
11683 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
11684 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
11690 @subsection Agent Expiry
11692 @vindex gnus-agent-expiry-days
11693 @findex gnus-agent-expiry
11694 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expiry
11695 @cindex Agent expiry
11696 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
11699 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
11700 @code{gnus-agent-expiry} command that will expire all read articles that
11701 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expiry-days} days. It can be run
11702 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
11703 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
11704 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
11706 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
11707 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
11708 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
11709 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
11710 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
11713 @node Outgoing Messages
11714 @subsection Outgoing Messages
11716 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
11717 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
11718 after posting, and edit them at will.
11720 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
11721 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
11722 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
11723 messages in the draft group.
11727 @node Agent Variables
11728 @subsection Agent Variables
11731 @item gnus-agent-directory
11732 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
11733 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
11734 @file{~/News/agent/}.
11736 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
11737 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
11738 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
11739 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
11740 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
11743 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11744 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
11745 Hook run when connecting to the network.
11747 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11748 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
11749 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
11754 @node Example Setup
11755 @subsection Example Setup
11757 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
11758 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
11759 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
11762 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
11763 ;;; from your ISP's server.
11764 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "nntp.your-isp.com"))
11766 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
11767 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
11768 (setenv "MAILHOST" "pop.your-isp.com")
11769 (setq nnmail-spool-file "po:username")
11771 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
11772 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
11774 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
11778 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
11779 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
11782 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
11783 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
11784 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
11785 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
11786 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
11789 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
11790 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
11791 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
11792 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
11793 back all the killed groups.)
11795 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
11796 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
11797 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
11800 @node Batching Agents
11801 @subsection Batching Agents
11803 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
11804 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
11805 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
11809 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
11818 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
11819 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
11820 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
11823 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
11824 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
11825 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
11826 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
11827 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
11829 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
11830 before generating the summary buffer.
11832 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
11833 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
11834 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
11836 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
11837 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
11838 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
11839 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
11842 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
11843 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
11844 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
11845 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
11846 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
11847 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
11848 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
11849 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
11850 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
11851 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
11852 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
11853 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
11854 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
11855 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
11856 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
11857 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
11861 @node Summary Score Commands
11862 @section Summary Score Commands
11863 @cindex score commands
11865 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
11866 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
11867 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
11868 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
11869 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
11871 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
11872 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
11873 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
11874 score file the current one.
11876 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
11881 @kindex V s (Summary)
11882 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
11883 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
11886 @kindex V S (Summary)
11887 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
11888 Display the score of the current article
11889 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
11892 @kindex V t (Summary)
11893 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
11894 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
11895 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
11898 @kindex V R (Summary)
11899 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
11900 Run the current summary through the scoring process
11901 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
11902 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
11903 effect you're having.
11906 @kindex V c (Summary)
11907 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
11908 Make a different score file the current
11909 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
11912 @kindex V e (Summary)
11913 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
11914 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
11915 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
11919 @kindex V f (Summary)
11920 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
11921 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
11922 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
11925 @kindex V F (Summary)
11926 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
11927 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
11928 after editing score files.
11931 @kindex V C (Summary)
11932 @findex gnus-score-customize
11933 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
11934 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
11938 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
11943 @kindex V m (Summary)
11944 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
11945 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
11946 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
11949 @kindex V x (Summary)
11950 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
11951 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
11952 expunge all articles below this score
11953 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
11956 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
11957 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
11960 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
11961 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
11965 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
11966 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
11968 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
11969 keys are available:
11973 Score on the author name.
11976 Score on the subject line.
11979 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
11982 Score on thread---the References line.
11988 Score on the number of lines.
11991 Score on the Message-ID.
11994 Score on followups.
12004 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
12005 what headers you are scoring on.
12017 Substring matching.
12020 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
12049 Greater than number.
12054 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
12055 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
12056 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
12060 Temporary score entry.
12063 Permanent score entry.
12066 Immediately scoring.
12071 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
12072 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
12073 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
12074 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
12076 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
12077 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
12078 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
12079 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
12080 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
12082 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
12083 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
12084 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
12085 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
12086 current score file.
12088 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
12089 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
12090 pretend they are keymaps or not.
12093 @node Group Score Commands
12094 @section Group Score Commands
12095 @cindex group score commands
12097 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
12102 @kindex W f (Group)
12103 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
12104 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
12105 all the time. This command will flush the cache
12106 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
12110 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
12112 @findex gnus-batch-score
12113 @cindex batch scoring
12115 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l gnus -f gnus-batch-score
12119 @node Score Variables
12120 @section Score Variables
12121 @cindex score variables
12125 @item gnus-use-scoring
12126 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
12127 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
12128 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
12130 @item gnus-kill-killed
12131 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
12132 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
12133 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
12134 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
12135 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
12136 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
12137 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
12139 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
12140 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
12141 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
12142 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
12143 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
12145 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
12146 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
12147 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
12148 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
12150 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12151 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12152 @cindex score cache
12153 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
12154 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
12155 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
12156 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
12157 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
12158 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
12161 @item gnus-save-score
12162 @vindex gnus-save-score
12163 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
12164 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
12165 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
12167 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12168 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12169 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
12170 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
12171 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
12172 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
12173 manually entered data.
12175 @item gnus-summary-default-score
12176 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
12177 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
12179 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
12180 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
12181 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
12182 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
12183 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
12184 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
12186 @item gnus-score-over-mark
12187 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
12188 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
12189 default. Default is @samp{+}.
12191 @item gnus-score-below-mark
12192 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
12193 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
12194 default. Default is @samp{-}.
12196 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12197 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12198 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
12199 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
12201 Predefined functions available are:
12204 @item gnus-score-find-single
12205 @findex gnus-score-find-single
12206 Only apply the group's own score file.
12208 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
12209 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
12210 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
12211 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
12212 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
12213 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
12214 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
12215 then a regexp match is done.
12217 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
12218 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
12220 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
12221 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
12222 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
12223 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
12225 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12226 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12227 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
12228 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
12229 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
12232 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
12233 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
12234 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
12235 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
12236 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
12237 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
12240 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
12241 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
12242 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
12243 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
12244 are expired. It's 7 by default.
12246 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12247 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12248 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
12249 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
12250 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
12251 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
12252 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
12255 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12256 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12257 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
12259 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
12260 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
12261 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
12262 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
12263 threading---according to the current value of
12264 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
12265 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
12266 simplified in this manner.
12271 @node Score File Format
12272 @section Score File Format
12273 @cindex score file format
12275 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
12276 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
12277 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
12279 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
12283 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
12285 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
12287 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
12289 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
12294 (mark-and-expunge -10)
12298 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
12299 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
12300 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
12301 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
12305 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
12306 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
12308 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
12309 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
12310 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
12312 Six keys are supported by this alist:
12317 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
12318 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
12319 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
12320 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
12321 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
12322 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
12323 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
12324 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
12325 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
12326 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
12327 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
12328 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
12329 to articles that matches these score entries.
12331 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
12332 score entry has one to four elements.
12336 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
12337 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
12341 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
12342 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
12343 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
12344 is successful. If this element is not present, the
12345 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
12346 instead. This is 1000 by default.
12349 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
12350 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
12351 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
12352 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
12353 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
12356 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
12357 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
12358 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
12359 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
12362 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
12363 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
12364 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
12365 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
12366 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
12367 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
12368 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
12369 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
12370 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
12371 instead, if you feel like.
12374 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
12375 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
12377 These predicates are true if
12380 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
12383 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
12384 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
12391 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
12392 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
12393 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
12394 it's not. I think.)
12396 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
12397 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
12398 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
12399 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
12402 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
12403 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
12404 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
12405 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
12406 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
12407 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
12408 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
12412 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
12413 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
12414 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
12415 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
12416 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
12417 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
12418 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
12419 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
12422 @item Head, Body, All
12423 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
12427 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
12428 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
12429 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
12430 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
12431 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
12432 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
12433 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
12437 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
12438 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
12439 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
12440 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
12441 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
12442 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
12443 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
12444 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
12445 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
12446 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
12450 @cindex Score File Atoms
12452 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12453 lower than this number will be marked as read.
12456 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12457 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
12459 @item mark-and-expunge
12460 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
12461 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
12464 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
12465 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
12466 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
12467 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
12468 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
12471 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
12472 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
12475 @item exclude-files
12476 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
12477 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
12481 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
12482 ignored when handling global score files.
12485 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
12486 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
12487 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
12488 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
12491 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
12492 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
12493 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
12494 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
12496 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
12500 (mark-and-expunge -100)
12503 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
12504 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
12505 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
12506 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
12507 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
12509 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
12510 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
12511 ordinary scoring rules.
12514 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
12515 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
12516 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
12517 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
12518 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
12519 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
12520 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
12521 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
12522 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
12523 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
12524 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
12528 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
12529 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
12530 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
12531 file for a number of groups.
12534 @cindex local variables
12535 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
12536 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
12537 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
12538 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
12539 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
12543 @node Score File Editing
12544 @section Score File Editing
12546 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
12547 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
12548 with a mode for that.
12550 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
12551 additional commands:
12556 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
12557 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
12558 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
12559 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
12562 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
12563 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
12564 Insert the current date in numerical format
12565 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
12566 you were wondering.
12569 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
12570 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
12571 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
12572 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
12573 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
12578 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
12580 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
12581 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
12583 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
12584 e} to begin editing score files.
12587 @node Adaptive Scoring
12588 @section Adaptive Scoring
12589 @cindex adaptive scoring
12591 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
12592 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
12593 stupidity, to be precise.
12595 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
12596 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
12597 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
12598 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
12599 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
12600 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
12601 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
12602 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
12603 variable to @code{(word line)}.
12605 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
12606 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
12607 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
12608 might look something like this:
12611 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
12612 '((gnus-unread-mark)
12613 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
12614 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
12615 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
12616 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
12617 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
12618 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
12619 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
12620 (gnus-ancient-mark)
12621 (gnus-low-score-mark)
12622 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
12625 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
12626 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
12627 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
12628 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
12629 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
12630 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
12633 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
12634 will be applied to each article.
12636 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
12637 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
12638 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
12639 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
12641 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
12642 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
12643 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
12644 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
12646 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
12647 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
12648 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
12649 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
12651 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
12652 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
12653 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
12654 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
12655 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
12656 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
12658 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
12659 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
12660 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
12661 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
12662 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
12663 aspirins afterwards.)
12665 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
12666 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
12667 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
12669 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
12670 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
12671 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
12673 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
12674 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
12675 let you use different rules in different groups.
12677 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
12678 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
12679 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
12682 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
12683 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
12684 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
12685 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
12686 the length of the match is less than
12687 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
12688 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
12691 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
12692 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
12693 headers. If you adapt on words, the
12694 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
12695 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
12698 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
12699 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
12700 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
12701 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
12702 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
12705 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
12706 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
12707 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
12708 score with 30 points.
12710 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
12711 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
12712 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
12713 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
12714 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
12716 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
12717 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
12718 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
12719 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
12721 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
12722 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
12723 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
12724 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
12726 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
12727 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
12728 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
12730 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
12731 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
12732 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
12733 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
12736 @node Home Score File
12737 @section Home Score File
12739 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
12740 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
12741 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
12742 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
12744 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
12745 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
12746 could perhaps use the same home score file.
12748 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
12749 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
12754 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
12758 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
12759 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
12763 A list. The elements in this list can be:
12767 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
12768 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
12771 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
12772 the home score file.
12775 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
12778 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
12783 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
12786 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12787 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
12790 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
12791 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
12794 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12795 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
12798 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
12800 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
12801 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
12802 their own home score files:
12805 (setq gnus-home-score-file
12806 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
12807 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
12808 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
12809 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
12812 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
12813 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
12814 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
12815 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
12816 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
12818 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
12819 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
12820 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
12821 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
12822 precedence over this variable.
12825 @node Followups To Yourself
12826 @section Followups To Yourself
12828 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
12829 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
12830 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
12831 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
12832 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
12833 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
12837 @item gnus-score-followup-article
12838 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
12839 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
12842 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
12843 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
12844 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
12848 @vindex message-sent-hook
12849 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
12850 @code{message-sent-hook}.
12852 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
12853 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
12857 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12858 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
12861 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
12862 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
12867 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
12871 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
12872 is system-dependent.
12876 @section Scoring Tips
12877 @cindex scoring tips
12883 @cindex scoring crossposts
12884 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
12885 the @code{Xref} header.
12887 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
12890 @item Multiple crossposts
12891 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
12892 more than, say, 3 groups:
12894 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
12897 @item Matching on the body
12898 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
12899 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
12900 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
12901 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
12902 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
12903 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
12904 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
12907 @item Marking as read
12908 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
12909 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
12910 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
12914 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
12916 @item Negated character classes
12917 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
12918 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
12919 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
12923 @node Reverse Scoring
12924 @section Reverse Scoring
12925 @cindex reverse scoring
12927 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
12928 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
12929 like this in your score file:
12933 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
12938 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
12939 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
12942 @node Global Score Files
12943 @section Global Score Files
12944 @cindex global score files
12946 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
12947 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
12948 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
12950 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
12951 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
12952 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
12954 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
12955 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
12956 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
12957 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
12958 files are applicable to which group.
12960 Say you want to use the score file
12961 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
12962 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
12965 (setq gnus-global-score-files
12966 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
12967 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
12970 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
12971 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
12972 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
12973 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
12974 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
12976 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
12977 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
12979 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
12980 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
12981 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
12982 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
12983 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
12984 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
12986 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
12992 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
12994 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
12996 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
12998 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
12999 lowered out of existence.
13001 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
13002 articles completely.
13005 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
13006 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
13007 old articles for a long time.
13010 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
13011 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
13012 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
13013 holding our breath yet?
13017 @section Kill Files
13020 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
13021 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
13022 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
13024 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
13025 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
13026 files into score files.
13028 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
13029 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
13030 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
13031 that isn't a very good idea.
13033 Normal kill files look like this:
13036 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13037 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
13041 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
13042 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
13044 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
13045 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
13048 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
13053 @kindex M-k (Summary)
13054 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
13055 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
13058 @kindex M-K (Summary)
13059 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
13060 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
13063 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
13068 @kindex M-k (Group)
13069 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
13070 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
13073 @kindex M-K (Group)
13074 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
13075 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
13078 Kill file variables:
13081 @item gnus-kill-file-name
13082 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
13083 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
13084 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
13085 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
13086 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
13087 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
13089 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13090 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13091 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
13092 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
13095 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
13096 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
13097 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
13098 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
13099 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
13100 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
13101 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
13102 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
13103 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
13105 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13106 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13107 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
13112 @node Converting Kill Files
13113 @section Converting Kill Files
13115 @cindex converting kill files
13117 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
13118 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
13119 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
13122 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
13123 You can fetch it from
13124 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
13126 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
13127 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
13128 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
13136 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
13137 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
13138 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
13140 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
13141 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
13142 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
13143 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
13144 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
13145 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
13146 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
13147 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
13151 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
13152 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
13153 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
13154 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
13158 @node Using GroupLens
13159 @subsection Using GroupLens
13161 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
13163 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
13164 better bit in town at the moment.
13166 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
13170 @item gnus-use-grouplens
13171 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
13172 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
13173 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
13175 @item grouplens-pseudonym
13176 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
13177 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
13178 with the Better Bit Bureau.
13180 @item grouplens-newsgroups
13181 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
13182 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
13186 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
13187 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
13188 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
13189 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
13190 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
13191 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
13194 @node Rating Articles
13195 @subsection Rating Articles
13197 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
13198 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
13199 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
13200 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
13203 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
13208 @kindex r (GroupLens)
13209 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
13210 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
13213 @kindex k (GroupLens)
13214 @findex grouplens-score-thread
13215 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
13216 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
13217 threads in rec.humor.
13221 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
13222 the score of the article you're reading.
13227 @kindex n (GroupLens)
13228 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
13229 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
13232 @kindex , (GroupLens)
13233 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
13234 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
13238 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
13239 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
13242 @node Displaying Predictions
13243 @subsection Displaying Predictions
13245 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
13246 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
13247 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
13248 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
13249 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
13251 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
13252 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
13253 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
13254 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
13255 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
13256 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
13257 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
13258 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
13259 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
13260 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
13261 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
13262 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
13263 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
13265 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
13266 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
13267 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
13268 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
13270 The following are valid values for that variable.
13273 @item prediction-spot
13274 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
13277 @item confidence-interval
13278 A numeric confidence interval.
13280 @item prediction-bar
13281 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
13283 @item confidence-bar
13284 Numerical confidence.
13286 @item confidence-spot
13287 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
13289 @item prediction-num
13290 Plain-old numeric value.
13292 @item confidence-plus-minus
13293 Prediction +/- confidence.
13298 @node GroupLens Variables
13299 @subsection GroupLens Variables
13303 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
13304 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
13305 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
13306 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
13309 @item grouplens-bbb-host
13310 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
13313 @item grouplens-bbb-port
13314 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
13316 @item grouplens-score-offset
13317 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
13318 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
13321 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
13322 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
13323 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
13328 @node Advanced Scoring
13329 @section Advanced Scoring
13331 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
13332 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
13333 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
13334 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
13335 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
13337 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
13341 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
13342 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
13343 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
13347 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
13348 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
13350 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
13351 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
13352 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
13353 non-@code{nil} value.
13355 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
13356 operator, and various match operators.
13363 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
13364 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
13365 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
13370 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
13371 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
13372 then this operator will return @code{false}.
13377 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
13378 logical negation of the value of its argument.
13382 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
13383 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
13384 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
13385 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
13386 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
13387 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
13388 the ancestry you want to go.
13390 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
13391 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
13392 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
13393 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
13394 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
13397 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
13398 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
13400 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
13401 when he's talking about Gnus:
13405 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13406 ("subject" "Gnus"))
13412 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
13416 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13423 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
13424 really don't want to read what he's written:
13428 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13429 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
13433 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
13434 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
13435 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
13442 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
13443 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
13444 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
13445 ("body" "white.*socks"))
13449 The possibilities are endless.
13452 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
13453 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
13455 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
13456 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
13457 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
13458 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
13459 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
13460 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
13461 @samp{subject}) first.
13463 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
13464 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
13475 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
13476 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
13482 ("subject" "Gnus")))
13489 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
13490 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
13495 @section Score Decays
13496 @cindex score decays
13499 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
13500 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
13501 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
13502 use them in any sensible way.
13504 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
13505 @findex gnus-decay-score
13506 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
13507 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
13508 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
13509 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
13510 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
13511 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
13512 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
13513 definition of that function:
13516 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
13517 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
13520 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
13522 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
13524 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
13527 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
13528 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
13529 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
13530 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
13534 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
13537 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
13540 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
13544 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
13545 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
13546 the new score, which should be an integer.
13548 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
13549 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
13556 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
13557 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
13558 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
13559 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
13560 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
13561 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
13562 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
13563 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
13564 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
13565 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
13566 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
13567 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
13568 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
13569 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
13570 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
13571 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
13572 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
13573 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
13577 @node Process/Prefix
13578 @section Process/Prefix
13579 @cindex process/prefix convention
13581 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
13582 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
13584 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
13585 command to be performed on.
13589 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
13590 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
13591 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
13592 with the current one.
13594 @vindex transient-mark-mode
13595 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
13596 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
13598 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
13599 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
13602 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
13603 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
13605 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
13608 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
13609 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
13610 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
13611 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13613 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
13614 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
13615 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
13616 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
13617 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
13618 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
13619 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
13620 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
13624 @section Interactive
13625 @cindex interaction
13629 @item gnus-novice-user
13630 @vindex gnus-novice-user
13631 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
13632 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
13633 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
13634 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
13637 @item gnus-expert-user
13638 @vindex gnus-expert-user
13639 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
13640 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
13641 matter how strange.
13643 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
13644 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
13645 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
13646 is @code{t} by default.
13648 @item gnus-interactive-exit
13649 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
13650 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
13655 @node Symbolic Prefixes
13656 @section Symbolic Prefixes
13657 @cindex symbolic prefixes
13659 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
13660 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
13661 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
13662 rule of 900 to the current article.
13664 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
13665 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
13666 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
13667 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
13668 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
13669 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
13670 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
13672 @kindex M-i (Summary)
13673 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
13674 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
13675 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
13676 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
13677 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
13678 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
13679 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
13680 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
13682 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
13683 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
13684 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
13686 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
13690 @node Formatting Variables
13691 @section Formatting Variables
13692 @cindex formatting variables
13694 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
13695 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
13696 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
13697 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
13698 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
13701 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
13702 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
13703 lots of percentages everywhere.
13706 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
13707 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
13708 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
13709 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
13710 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
13713 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
13714 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
13715 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
13716 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
13717 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
13718 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
13719 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
13720 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
13722 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
13723 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
13725 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
13726 @findex gnus-update-format
13727 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
13728 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
13729 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
13730 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
13734 @node Formatting Basics
13735 @subsection Formatting Basics
13737 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
13738 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
13739 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
13741 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
13742 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
13743 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
13744 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
13745 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
13748 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
13749 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
13750 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
13751 less than 4 characters wide.
13754 @node Mode Line Formatting
13755 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
13757 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
13758 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
13759 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
13760 with the following two differences:
13765 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
13768 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
13769 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
13770 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
13771 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
13772 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
13773 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
13774 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
13779 @node Advanced Formatting
13780 @subsection Advanced Formatting
13782 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
13783 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
13784 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
13785 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
13787 These are the valid modifiers:
13792 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
13796 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
13801 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
13804 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
13809 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
13812 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
13815 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
13818 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
13822 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
13823 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
13824 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
13825 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
13826 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
13827 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
13828 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
13830 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
13831 last operation, padding.
13833 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
13834 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
13835 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
13836 @xref{Compilation}.
13839 @node User-Defined Specs
13840 @subsection User-Defined Specs
13842 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
13843 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
13844 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
13845 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
13846 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
13847 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
13848 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
13849 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
13850 should protect against that.
13852 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
13853 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
13854 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
13855 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
13859 @node Formatting Fonts
13860 @subsection Formatting Fonts
13862 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
13863 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
13864 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
13865 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
13868 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
13869 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
13870 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
13871 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
13872 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
13873 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
13875 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
13878 ;; Create three face types.
13879 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
13880 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
13882 ;; We want the article count to be in
13883 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
13884 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
13885 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
13887 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
13888 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
13890 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
13891 (setq gnus-group-line-format
13892 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
13895 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
13896 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
13898 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
13899 mode-line variables.
13902 @node Windows Configuration
13903 @section Windows Configuration
13904 @cindex windows configuration
13906 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
13908 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
13909 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
13910 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
13911 @code{t} by default.
13913 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
13914 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
13915 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
13918 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
13919 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
13920 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13924 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
13925 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
13926 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
13927 possible names is listed below.
13929 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
13930 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
13933 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
13937 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
13938 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
13939 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
13940 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
13941 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
13942 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
13943 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
13944 size spec per split.
13946 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
13947 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
13948 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
13949 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
13950 present) gets focus.
13952 Here's a more complicated example:
13955 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
13956 (summary 0.25 point)
13957 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
13961 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
13962 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
13963 occupy, not a percentage.
13965 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
13966 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
13967 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
13968 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
13969 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
13972 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
13975 (article (horizontal 1.0
13980 (summary 0.25 point)
13985 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
13986 @code{horizontal} thingie?
13988 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
13989 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
13990 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
13991 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
13992 the screen is to be given to this strip.
13994 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
13995 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
13996 lines from the splits.
13998 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
14002 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
14003 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
14004 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
14005 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
14006 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
14007 size = number | frame-params
14008 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
14011 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
14012 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
14013 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
14014 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
14016 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
14017 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
14018 @cindex window height
14019 @cindex window width
14020 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
14021 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
14022 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
14023 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
14024 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
14025 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
14027 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
14028 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
14029 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
14030 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
14032 @findex gnus-configure-frame
14033 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
14034 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
14035 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
14036 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
14037 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
14038 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
14039 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
14040 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
14041 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
14042 configuration list.
14045 (gnus-configure-frame
14049 (article 0.3 point))
14057 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
14058 @code{frame} split:
14061 (gnus-configure-frame
14064 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
14066 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
14067 (user-position . t)
14068 (left . -1) (top . 1))
14073 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
14074 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
14075 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
14076 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
14077 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
14078 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
14079 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
14080 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
14083 Here's a list of all possible keys for
14084 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
14086 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
14087 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
14088 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
14089 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
14090 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
14091 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}, and @code{score-trace}.
14093 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
14094 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
14095 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
14099 (message (horizontal 1.0
14100 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
14102 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
14107 @findex gnus-add-configuration
14108 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
14109 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
14110 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
14111 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
14114 (gnus-add-configuration
14115 '(article (vertical 1.0
14117 (summary .25 point)
14121 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
14122 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
14123 Gnus has been loaded.
14125 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
14126 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
14127 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
14128 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
14129 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
14132 @node Faces and Fonts
14133 @section Faces and Fonts
14138 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
14139 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
14140 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
14145 @section Compilation
14146 @cindex compilation
14147 @cindex byte-compilation
14149 @findex gnus-compile
14151 Remember all those line format specification variables?
14152 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
14153 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
14154 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
14155 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
14156 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
14159 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
14160 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
14161 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
14162 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
14163 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
14164 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
14165 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
14169 @section Mode Lines
14172 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
14173 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
14174 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
14175 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
14176 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
14177 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
14178 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
14181 @cindex display-time
14183 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
14184 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
14185 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
14186 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
14187 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
14188 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
14189 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
14190 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
14193 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
14195 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
14196 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
14198 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
14199 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
14200 (length display-time-string)))))
14203 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
14204 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
14205 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
14206 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
14207 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
14210 @node Highlighting and Menus
14211 @section Highlighting and Menus
14213 @cindex highlighting
14216 @vindex gnus-visual
14217 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
14218 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
14219 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
14222 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
14223 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
14226 @item group-highlight
14227 Do highlights in the group buffer.
14228 @item summary-highlight
14229 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
14230 @item article-highlight
14231 Do highlights in the article buffer.
14233 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
14235 Create menus in the group buffer.
14237 Create menus in the summary buffers.
14239 Create menus in the article buffer.
14241 Create menus in the browse buffer.
14243 Create menus in the server buffer.
14245 Create menus in the score buffers.
14247 Create menus in all buffers.
14250 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
14251 buffers, you could say something like:
14254 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
14257 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
14260 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
14263 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
14264 in all Gnus buffers.
14266 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
14269 @item gnus-mouse-face
14270 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
14271 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
14272 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
14276 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
14280 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
14281 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
14282 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
14284 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
14285 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
14286 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
14288 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
14289 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
14290 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
14292 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
14293 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
14294 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
14296 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
14297 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
14298 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
14300 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
14301 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
14302 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
14313 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
14314 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
14315 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
14316 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
14317 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
14321 @vindex gnus-carpal
14322 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
14323 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
14324 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
14329 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
14330 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
14331 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
14333 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
14334 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
14335 Face used on buttons.
14337 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
14338 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
14339 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
14341 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
14342 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
14343 Buttons in the group buffer.
14345 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
14346 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
14347 Buttons in the summary buffer.
14349 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
14350 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
14351 Buttons in the server buffer.
14353 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
14354 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
14355 Buttons in the browse buffer.
14358 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
14359 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
14360 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
14368 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
14369 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
14370 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
14371 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
14372 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
14374 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
14375 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
14376 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
14378 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
14379 been idle for thirty minutes:
14382 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
14385 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
14389 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
14392 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
14393 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
14394 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
14396 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
14397 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
14398 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
14399 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
14401 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
14402 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
14403 @var{idle} minutes.
14405 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
14406 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
14409 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
14410 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
14411 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
14413 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
14414 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
14415 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
14416 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
14418 @vindex gnus-use-demon
14419 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
14420 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
14422 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
14423 your @file{.gnus} file:
14425 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
14427 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
14430 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
14431 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
14432 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
14433 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
14434 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
14435 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
14436 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
14437 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
14438 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
14439 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
14440 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
14442 @findex gnus-demon-init
14443 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
14444 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
14445 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
14446 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
14447 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
14449 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
14450 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
14451 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
14460 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
14461 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
14463 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
14464 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
14465 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
14466 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
14469 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
14470 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
14471 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
14472 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
14474 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
14475 this will make spam disappear.
14477 There are some variables to customize, of course:
14480 @item gnus-use-nocem
14481 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
14482 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
14485 @item gnus-nocem-groups
14486 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
14487 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
14488 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
14489 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
14491 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
14492 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
14493 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
14494 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
14495 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
14496 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
14497 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
14499 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
14502 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
14503 @cindex Chris Lewis
14504 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
14505 usenet abuse than anybody else.
14508 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
14509 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
14510 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
14512 @item jem@@xpat.com;
14514 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
14517 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
14518 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
14519 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
14522 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
14523 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
14524 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
14525 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
14526 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
14527 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
14528 @var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is
14529 either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use)
14530 or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a
14531 regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
14533 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
14534 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
14537 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
14540 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
14541 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
14544 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
14547 The specs are applied left-to-right.
14550 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
14551 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
14553 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
14554 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
14555 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
14556 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
14558 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
14559 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
14562 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
14564 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
14572 This might be dangerous, though.
14574 @item gnus-nocem-directory
14575 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
14576 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
14577 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
14579 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
14580 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
14581 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
14582 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
14583 might then see old spam.
14587 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
14588 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
14589 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
14590 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
14597 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
14598 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
14599 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
14601 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
14602 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
14603 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
14604 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
14605 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
14606 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
14607 @code{undo} function.
14609 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
14610 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
14611 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
14612 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
14613 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
14614 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
14615 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
14616 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
14617 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
14618 never be totally undoable.
14620 @findex gnus-undo-mode
14621 @vindex gnus-use-undo
14623 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
14624 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
14625 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
14626 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
14631 @section Moderation
14634 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
14635 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
14636 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
14639 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
14643 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
14646 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
14648 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
14653 You split your incoming mail by matching on
14654 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
14655 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
14658 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
14659 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
14662 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
14663 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
14667 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
14670 (setq gnus-moderated-list
14671 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
14675 @node XEmacs Enhancements
14676 @section XEmacs Enhancements
14679 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
14683 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
14684 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
14685 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
14686 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
14699 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
14700 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
14701 over your shoulder as you read news.
14704 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
14705 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
14706 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
14707 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
14708 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
14713 @subsubsection Picon Basics
14715 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
14724 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
14725 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
14726 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
14727 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
14728 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
14729 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
14730 @code{GIF} formats.
14733 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14734 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
14735 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
14736 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string
14737 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
14739 @vindex gnus-picons-database
14740 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
14741 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at
14742 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
14743 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
14744 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
14747 @node Picon Requirements
14748 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
14750 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
14751 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
14754 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
14755 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
14756 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
14758 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14759 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
14760 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
14761 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
14762 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
14766 @subsubsection Easy Picons
14768 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
14769 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
14772 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
14773 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
14774 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
14777 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
14778 containing the Picons databases.
14780 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
14783 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
14788 @subsubsection Hard Picons
14796 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
14797 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
14798 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
14799 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
14800 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
14805 @item gnus-picons-database
14806 @vindex gnus-picons-database
14807 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
14808 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
14809 subdirectories. This is only useful if
14810 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
14811 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
14813 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14814 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
14815 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
14816 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
14817 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
14818 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
14819 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
14821 @item gnus-picons-display-where
14822 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
14823 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
14824 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
14825 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
14826 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
14827 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
14828 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
14830 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
14831 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
14832 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
14837 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
14838 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
14840 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
14841 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
14844 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
14845 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
14847 @item gnus-article-display-picons
14848 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14849 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
14850 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to the
14851 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14853 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
14854 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
14855 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
14856 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
14860 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
14861 for the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
14864 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
14868 @node Picon Useless Configuration
14869 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
14877 The following variables offer further control over how things are
14878 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
14879 don't need to worry about.
14883 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
14884 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
14885 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
14886 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
14888 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
14889 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
14890 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
14891 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
14893 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
14894 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
14895 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
14896 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
14897 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
14899 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14900 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
14901 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
14902 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
14903 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
14904 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
14905 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
14907 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14908 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
14909 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
14910 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
14912 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
14913 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
14914 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
14915 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
14916 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
14917 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
14918 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
14920 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
14921 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
14922 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
14923 Defaults to @code{nil}.
14925 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
14926 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
14927 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
14928 Defaults to @code{t}.
14930 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
14931 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
14932 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
14933 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
14935 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
14936 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
14937 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
14938 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
14940 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
14941 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
14942 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
14943 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
14944 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
14945 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
14946 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
14947 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
14958 @subsection Smileys
14963 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
14968 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
14969 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
14971 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
14972 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14975 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t)
14978 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
14979 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
14980 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
14981 text and maps that to file names.
14983 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
14984 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
14985 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
14986 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
14987 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
14988 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
14990 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
14991 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
14993 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
14994 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
14995 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
14997 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
14998 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
15002 @item smiley-data-directory
15003 @vindex smiley-data-directory
15004 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
15006 @item smiley-flesh-color
15007 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
15008 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
15010 @item smiley-features-color
15011 @vindex smiley-features-color
15012 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
15014 @item smiley-tongue-color
15015 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
15016 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
15018 @item smiley-circle-color
15019 @vindex smiley-circle-color
15020 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
15022 @item smiley-mouse-face
15023 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
15024 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
15030 @subsection Toolbar
15040 @item gnus-use-toolbar
15041 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
15042 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
15043 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
15044 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
15046 @item gnus-group-toolbar
15047 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
15048 The toolbar in the group buffer.
15050 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
15051 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
15052 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
15054 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15055 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15056 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
15062 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
15065 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15066 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15067 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
15068 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
15069 unusual directory structure.
15071 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15072 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15073 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
15074 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
15076 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15077 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15078 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
15079 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
15080 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
15081 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
15083 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15084 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15085 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
15099 @node Fuzzy Matching
15100 @section Fuzzy Matching
15101 @cindex fuzzy matching
15103 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
15104 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
15106 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
15107 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
15108 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
15110 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
15111 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
15112 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
15113 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
15114 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
15117 @node Thwarting Email Spam
15118 @section Thwarting Email Spam
15122 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
15124 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
15125 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
15126 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
15127 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
15128 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
15129 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
15130 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
15131 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
15134 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
15135 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
15136 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
15137 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
15138 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
15139 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
15143 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
15144 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
15146 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
15147 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
15148 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
15149 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
15150 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
15151 part of the mail address.)
15154 (setq message-default-news-headers
15155 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
15158 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15159 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
15164 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
15165 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
15166 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
15172 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
15173 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
15174 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
15175 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
15177 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
15178 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
15179 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
15180 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
15181 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
15182 your fancy split rule in this way:
15187 (to "larsi" "misc")
15191 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
15192 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
15193 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
15194 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
15195 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
15197 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
15198 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
15199 at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
15200 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
15201 cosmic balance somewhat.
15203 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
15204 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
15205 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
15206 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
15209 @node Various Various
15210 @section Various Various
15216 @item gnus-home-directory
15217 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
15218 defaults to @file{~/}.
15220 @item gnus-directory
15221 @vindex gnus-directory
15222 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
15223 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
15224 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
15226 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
15227 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
15228 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
15229 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
15231 @item gnus-default-directory
15232 @vindex gnus-default-directory
15233 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
15234 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
15235 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
15236 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15237 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
15238 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
15241 @vindex gnus-verbose
15242 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
15243 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
15244 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
15245 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
15246 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
15248 @item gnus-verbose-backends
15249 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
15250 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
15251 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
15253 @item nnheader-max-head-length
15254 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
15255 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
15256 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
15257 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
15258 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
15259 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
15260 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
15261 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
15262 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
15264 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
15265 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
15266 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
15267 read when doing the operation described above.
15269 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15270 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15272 @cindex invalid characters in file names
15273 @cindex characters in file names
15274 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
15275 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
15276 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
15279 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
15283 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
15284 Windows (phooey) systems.
15286 @item gnus-hidden-properties
15287 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
15288 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
15289 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
15290 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
15292 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
15293 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
15294 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
15295 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
15296 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
15298 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
15299 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
15300 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
15309 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
15310 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
15312 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
15314 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
15320 Not because of victories @*
15323 but for the common sunshine,@*
15325 the largess of the spring.
15329 but for the day's work done@*
15330 as well as I was able;@*
15331 not for a seat upon the dais@*
15332 but at the common table.@*
15337 @chapter Appendices
15340 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
15341 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
15342 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
15343 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
15344 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
15345 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
15346 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
15354 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
15355 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
15357 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
15358 can point your (feh!) web browser to
15359 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
15360 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
15361 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
15363 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
15364 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
15365 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
15366 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
15367 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
15368 appropriate name, don't you think?)
15370 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
15371 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
15372 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
15373 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
15375 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
15376 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
15377 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
15379 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
15380 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
15382 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
15383 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
15385 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
15386 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
15387 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
15388 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
15389 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
15393 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
15394 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
15395 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
15396 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
15397 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
15398 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
15399 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
15406 What's the point of Gnus?
15408 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
15409 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
15410 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
15411 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
15412 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
15413 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
15414 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
15415 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
15416 keep track of millions of people who post?
15418 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
15419 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
15420 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
15421 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
15422 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
15423 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
15424 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
15425 every one of you to explore and invent.
15427 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
15428 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
15431 @node Compatibility
15432 @subsection Compatibility
15434 @cindex compatibility
15435 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
15436 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
15437 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
15442 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
15446 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
15449 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
15452 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
15453 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
15454 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
15455 important variables have their values copied into their global
15456 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
15457 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
15459 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
15460 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
15461 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
15462 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
15463 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
15467 @cindex highlighting
15468 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
15469 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
15470 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
15471 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
15472 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
15473 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
15476 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
15477 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
15478 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
15479 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
15481 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
15482 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
15483 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
15484 to stop doing it the old way.
15486 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
15488 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
15490 @cindex reporting bugs
15492 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
15493 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
15494 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
15496 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
15497 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
15498 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
15499 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
15504 @subsection Conformity
15506 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
15507 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
15514 There are no known breaches of this standard.
15518 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
15520 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
15521 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
15522 We do have some breaches to this one.
15527 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
15528 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
15531 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
15532 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
15533 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
15534 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
15535 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
15540 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
15541 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
15546 @subsection Emacsen
15552 Gnus should work on :
15557 Emacs 19.32 and up.
15560 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
15563 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
15567 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
15568 reliably, at least.
15570 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
15571 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
15572 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
15577 @subsection Contributors
15578 @cindex contributors
15580 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
15581 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
15582 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
15583 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
15584 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
15585 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
15586 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
15587 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
15588 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
15589 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
15591 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
15597 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
15600 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
15601 well as numerous other things).
15604 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
15607 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
15610 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
15611 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
15614 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
15617 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
15618 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
15621 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
15624 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
15627 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
15630 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
15633 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
15634 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
15637 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
15640 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
15643 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
15646 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
15650 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
15653 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
15656 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
15659 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
15660 well as autoconf support.
15664 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
15665 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
15667 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
15676 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
15680 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
15702 Massimo Campostrini,
15709 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
15715 Michael Welsh Duggan,
15718 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
15722 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
15728 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
15730 Michelangelo Grigni,
15733 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
15735 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
15737 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
15742 François Felix Ingrand,
15743 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
15745 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
15753 Peter Skov Knudsen,
15754 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
15755 Thor Kristoffersen,
15757 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
15774 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
15775 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
15782 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
15786 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
15788 John McClary Prevost,
15793 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
15798 Christian von Roques,
15800 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
15806 Philippe Schnoebelen,
15808 Randal L. Schwartz,
15836 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
15838 Shenghuo Zhu. @c Zhu
15840 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
15841 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
15842 (550kB and counting).
15844 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
15847 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
15848 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
15852 @subsection New Features
15853 @cindex new features
15856 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
15857 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
15858 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
15859 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6.23.
15862 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
15863 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
15864 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
15868 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
15870 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
15875 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
15876 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
15879 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
15880 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
15883 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
15886 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
15887 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
15888 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15891 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
15892 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
15893 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
15894 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
15897 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
15898 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15901 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
15902 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
15903 (@pxref{The Active File}).
15906 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
15907 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
15910 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
15911 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
15912 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
15915 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
15916 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
15917 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
15920 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
15921 the @file{.emacs} file.
15924 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
15925 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15928 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
15929 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
15932 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
15933 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
15936 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
15937 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
15940 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
15941 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
15944 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
15947 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
15948 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
15951 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
15952 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
15955 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
15956 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
15959 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
15962 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
15963 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
15966 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
15970 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
15974 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
15975 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
15978 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
15984 @node September Gnus
15985 @subsubsection September Gnus
15989 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
15993 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
15998 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
15999 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
16003 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
16004 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
16008 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
16012 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
16013 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
16016 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
16020 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
16023 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
16026 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
16029 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
16033 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
16034 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
16037 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
16041 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
16045 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
16049 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
16053 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
16056 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
16057 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
16060 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
16064 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
16065 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
16068 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
16071 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
16072 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
16073 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
16076 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
16080 The Gnus cache is much faster.
16083 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
16087 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
16088 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16091 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
16092 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
16095 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
16096 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16099 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
16100 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
16101 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
16104 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
16105 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
16108 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
16111 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16114 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
16115 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
16119 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
16122 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
16125 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
16126 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
16129 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
16133 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
16136 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
16141 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
16144 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
16148 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
16151 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
16155 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
16158 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
16161 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
16162 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
16165 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
16166 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
16170 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
16171 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
16174 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
16178 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
16179 buffer to allow easier treatment.
16182 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
16185 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
16189 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
16193 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
16194 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
16197 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
16201 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
16202 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16205 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
16206 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16209 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
16213 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16216 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
16217 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
16221 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
16224 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
16230 @subsubsection Red Gnus
16232 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
16236 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
16243 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
16246 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
16247 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
16250 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
16251 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
16255 Article washing status can be displayed in the
16256 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
16259 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
16262 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
16263 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
16266 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
16270 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
16271 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
16275 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
16276 Server Internals}).
16279 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
16283 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
16286 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
16287 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
16290 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
16291 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
16292 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
16295 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
16296 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
16299 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
16300 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
16303 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
16307 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
16308 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16311 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
16312 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
16315 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
16319 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
16322 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
16326 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
16327 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16330 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
16331 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
16334 A new command for reading collections of documents
16335 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
16336 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
16339 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
16343 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
16344 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
16347 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
16348 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
16349 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
16352 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
16353 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
16357 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
16361 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
16365 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
16370 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
16374 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
16378 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
16379 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
16382 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
16385 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
16392 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
16394 New features in Gnus 5.6.23:
16399 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
16400 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
16401 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
16404 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
16405 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
16406 group, which is created automatically.
16409 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
16413 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
16416 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
16417 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
16420 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
16424 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
16427 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
16428 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
16431 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
16434 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
16435 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
16438 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
16439 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
16442 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
16443 control over simplification.
16446 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
16449 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
16453 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
16456 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16459 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
16460 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
16461 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
16464 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
16465 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
16468 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
16472 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
16473 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
16476 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
16477 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
16480 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
16484 A history of where mails have been split is available.
16487 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
16490 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
16491 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
16494 A new function for citing in Message has been
16495 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
16498 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
16501 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
16505 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
16506 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
16509 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
16510 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
16513 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
16516 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
16521 @node Newest Features
16522 @subsection Newest Features
16525 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
16528 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
16530 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
16531 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
16534 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
16539 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
16542 Really do unbinhexing.
16545 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
16546 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
16549 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
16552 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
16555 facep is not declared.
16558 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
16559 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
16562 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
16567 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
16568 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
16569 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
16570 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
16571 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
16572 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
16573 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
16578 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
16581 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
16584 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
16586 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
16587 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
16589 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
16591 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
16593 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
16594 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
16596 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
16598 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
16599 be marked as unread.
16601 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
16603 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
16605 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
16606 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
16608 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
16610 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
16612 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
16613 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
16615 topics that contain just groups with ticked
16616 articles aren't displayed.
16618 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
16620 implement gnus-score-thread
16622 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
16623 make the mail groups killed.
16625 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
16627 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
16628 and articles have to be removed.
16630 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
16633 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
16635 finding short score file names takes forever.
16637 canceling articles in foreign groups.
16639 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
16641 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
16643 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
16645 nnweb doesn't work properly.
16647 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
16649 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
16650 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
16654 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
16656 really unbinhex binhex files.
16658 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
16659 bar and the Gnus bar.
16662 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
16663 `(canonize-message-id id)'
16664 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
16665 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
16666 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
16667 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
16672 nnml .overview directory with splits.
16676 postponed commands.
16678 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
16680 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
16683 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
16684 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
16686 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
16687 inherit copy prompts and save files.
16689 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
16691 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
16692 for backends that support that.
16694 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
16696 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
16697 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
16699 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
16700 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
16702 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
16704 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
16706 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
16708 server mode command: close/open all connections
16710 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
16711 has been changed before using it.
16713 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
16715 hide (sub)threads with low score.
16717 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
16719 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
16721 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
16722 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
16724 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
16725 contain groups that match a regexp.
16727 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
16730 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
16733 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
16734 from subject lines.
16736 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
16738 nntp-ping-before-connect
16740 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
16742 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
16743 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
16745 message annotations.
16747 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
16749 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
16750 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
16752 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
16757 support qmail maildir spools
16759 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
16761 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
16763 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
16765 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
16766 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
16768 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
16770 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
16772 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
16773 finds and generate proper active ranges.
16775 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
16776 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
16778 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
16780 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
16782 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
16783 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
16785 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
16787 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
16789 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
16790 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
16793 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
16795 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
16797 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
16798 `C-c C-c' when posting.
16800 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
16803 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
16804 should be marker as expirable.
16806 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
16808 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
16809 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
16811 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
16812 Also consult Date headers.
16814 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
16816 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
16818 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
16819 Message-ID, delete the "original".
16821 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
16822 into a See-Also header.
16824 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
16826 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
16828 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
16829 should be listed as such and not as "K".
16831 generate font names dynamically.
16833 score file mode auto-alist.
16835 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
16836 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
16838 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
16839 absolutely all headers there is.
16841 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
16842 and pipe them to the process.
16844 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
16845 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
16846 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
16848 function for starting to edit a file to put into
16849 the current mail group.
16851 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
16853 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
16854 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
16856 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
16857 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
16859 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
16861 when replying to several process-marked articles,
16862 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
16864 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
16865 groups it has been mailed to.
16867 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
16869 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
16871 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
16873 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
16874 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
16876 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
16877 newlines) should be ignored.
16879 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
16880 groups in subtopics as well.
16882 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
16884 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
16887 add edit and forward secondary marks.
16889 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
16891 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
16893 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
16895 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
16897 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
16899 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
16900 or the formatted article.
16902 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
16904 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
16905 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
16907 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
16909 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
16911 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
16913 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
16914 even unread articles.
16916 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
16918 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
16920 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
16922 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
16924 canceling articles in foreign groups.
16926 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
16929 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
16930 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
16932 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
16933 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
16935 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
16937 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
16939 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
16940 from a particular server? Hm.
16942 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
16943 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
16945 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
16947 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
16948 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
16950 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
16951 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
16953 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
16954 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
16955 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
16958 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
16959 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
16961 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
16963 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
16965 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
16967 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
16970 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
16973 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
16974 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
16976 command to show and edit group scores
16978 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
16981 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
16983 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
16985 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
16986 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
16989 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
16990 that are of that length.
16992 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
16994 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
16996 asynchronous posting under nntp.
16998 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
17000 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
17002 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
17004 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
17005 a score lower than this number.
17007 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
17009 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
17011 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
17012 so that each copy can be edited separately.
17014 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
17016 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
17017 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
17019 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
17022 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
17023 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
17024 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
17025 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
17027 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
17030 command to remove all topic stuff.
17032 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
17033 and splitting the resulting digests.
17035 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
17037 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
17039 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
17040 matches an alist -- before saving.
17042 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
17044 variable to activate each group before entering them
17045 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
17047 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
17048 starting Gnus first if necessary.
17050 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
17051 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
17053 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
17055 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
17056 of several groups at once.
17058 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
17059 matches some regexp(s).
17061 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
17063 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
17065 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
17067 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
17069 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
17071 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
17073 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
17075 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
17076 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
17077 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
17078 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
17080 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
17081 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
17083 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
17085 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
17086 recently cited text.
17088 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
17090 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
17093 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
17094 server and just read the articles in the server
17096 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
17097 value of nnoo variables.
17099 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
17101 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
17102 listed in each group info.
17104 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
17107 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
17108 should only be applied to some groups.
17110 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
17111 mail-copies-to: never.
17113 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
17114 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
17116 the slave dribble files should autosave to the slave file names.
17118 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
17121 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
17124 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
17126 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
17129 group user-defined meta-parameters.
17133 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
17135 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
17136 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
17137 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
17138 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
17139 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
17141 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at
17142 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
17149 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
17150 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
17152 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
17153 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
17155 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
17156 "Return the date the group was last read."
17157 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
17162 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
17163 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
17164 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
17165 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
17169 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
17170 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
17172 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
17175 They could be used like this:
17179 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
17180 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
17181 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
17183 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
17185 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
17188 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
17191 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
17192 affect the summary line format.
17196 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
17198 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
17199 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
17201 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
17204 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
17206 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
17208 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
17210 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
17212 - For other files, just find them normally.
17214 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
17215 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
17218 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
17219 tell him what you are doing.
17222 Currently, I get prompted:
17226 decend into sci.something ?
17230 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
17231 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
17232 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
17233 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
17236 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
17237 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
17238 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
17239 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
17242 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
17243 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
17249 more than n blank lines
17251 more than m identical lines
17252 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
17254 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
17258 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
17259 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
17260 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
17261 "same" subject for threading purposes.
17264 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
17265 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
17266 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
17267 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
17270 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
17273 soup - bowl of soup
17274 score below - dim light bulb
17275 score over - bright light bulb
17278 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
17283 show-list-of-articles-in-group
17284 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
17285 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
17286 if (articles-selected)
17287 start-reading-selected-articles;
17288 junk-unread-articles;
17293 else if (key-pressed = '.')
17294 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
17295 select-thread-under-cursor;
17297 select-article-under-cursor;
17301 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
17302 if (more-pages-in-article)
17304 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
17311 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
17312 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
17313 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
17316 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
17317 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
17318 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
17319 the wildcard expression).
17322 It would be nice if it also handled
17324 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
17326 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
17331 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
17332 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
17333 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
17334 article versions) variable.
17336 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
17338 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
17339 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
17343 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
17346 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
17347 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
17348 (message-sent-hook).
17350 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
17353 * Enhancements to Gnus:
17357 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
17358 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
17361 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
17362 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
17363 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
17366 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
17367 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
17371 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
17374 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
17378 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
17379 the nnmail duplicate checking.
17382 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
17383 value of the signature file.
17386 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
17387 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
17390 (setq message-tab-alist
17391 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
17392 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
17394 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
17398 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
17401 a command to import a buffer into a group.
17404 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
17407 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
17408 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
17411 a command to process mark all unread articles.
17414 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
17415 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
17416 do more gathering by subject.
17419 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
17420 article numerical order.
17423 (gnus-thread-total-score
17424 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
17428 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
17431 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
17432 in the summary buffer.
17435 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
17436 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
17439 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
17440 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
17441 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
17442 and/or newsgroup name.
17445 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
17448 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
17451 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
17454 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
17455 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
17456 will automatically get the process mark.
17459 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
17460 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
17461 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
17464 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
17468 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
17469 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
17472 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
17473 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
17477 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
17478 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
17481 be able to post via DejaNews.
17484 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
17487 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
17488 allow them to be displayed separately.
17491 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
17492 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
17495 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
17496 articles that match a certain From header.
17499 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
17500 saving living summary buffers.
17503 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
17504 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
17507 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
17508 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
17511 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
17512 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
17515 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
17516 (goto-char (point-min))
17517 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
17518 (replace-match "`" t t))
17519 (goto-char (point-min))
17520 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
17521 (replace-match "'" t t))
17522 (goto-char (point-min))
17523 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
17524 (replace-match "\"" t t))
17525 (goto-char (point-min))
17526 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
17527 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
17532 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
17534 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
17535 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
17536 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
17537 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
17541 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
17544 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
17545 numbers and match on the age of the article.
17548 gnus-cacheable-groups
17552 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
17553 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
17554 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
17556 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
17557 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
17559 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
17560 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
17565 all commands that react to the process mark should push
17566 the current process mark set onto the stack.
17569 gnus-article-hide-pgp
17570 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
17572 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
17574 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
17575 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
17578 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
17579 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
17582 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
17586 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
17587 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
17590 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
17593 nndraft-request-group should tally autosave files.
17596 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
17599 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
17603 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
17609 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
17612 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
17616 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
17617 X characters in the body.
17620 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
17623 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
17626 format spec to "tab" to a position.
17629 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
17632 command to display all dormant articles.
17635 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
17638 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
17639 to something someone else has said.
17642 Read Netscape discussion groups:
17643 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
17646 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
17647 the displayed version.
17650 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
17654 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
17657 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
17658 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
17659 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
17663 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
17664 in the head or body.
17667 Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
17670 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
17673 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
17674 in a special, unique buffer.
17677 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
17680 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
17681 is less than a certain number of days old.
17684 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
17687 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
17690 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
17691 file, for instance.
17694 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
17695 in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
17696 dummy root instead of the first article.
17699 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
17700 topics for displaying.
17703 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
17704 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
17707 Solve the halting problem.
17716 @section The Manual
17720 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
17721 either @code{texi2dvi}
17723 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
17724 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
17726 to get what you hold in your hands now.
17728 The following conventions have been used:
17733 This is a @samp{string}
17736 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
17739 This is a @file{file}
17742 This is a @code{symbol}
17746 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
17750 (setq flargnoze "yes")
17753 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
17756 (setq flumphel 'yes)
17759 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
17760 ever get them confused.
17764 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
17765 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
17766 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
17767 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
17768 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
17769 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
17770 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
17778 @section Terminology
17780 @cindex terminology
17785 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
17786 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
17787 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
17788 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
17789 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
17793 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
17794 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
17795 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
17796 not posting, and replying is not following up.
17800 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
17804 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
17809 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
17810 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
17811 is all done by the backends.
17815 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
17816 default, way of getting news.
17820 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
17821 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
17826 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
17827 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
17831 A message that has been posted as news.
17834 @cindex mail message
17835 A message that has been mailed.
17839 A mail message or news article
17843 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
17848 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
17853 A line from the head of an article.
17857 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
17858 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
17862 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
17863 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
17864 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
17865 normal @sc{head} format.
17869 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
17870 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
17871 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
17872 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
17873 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
17874 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
17876 @item killed groups
17877 @cindex killed groups
17878 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
17879 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
17881 @item zombie groups
17882 @cindex zombie groups
17883 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
17886 @cindex active file
17887 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
17888 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
17889 is rather large, as you might surmise.
17892 @cindex bogus groups
17893 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
17894 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
17895 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
17898 @cindex activating groups
17899 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
17900 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
17901 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
17905 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
17907 @item select method
17908 @cindex select method
17909 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
17912 @item virtual server
17913 @cindex virtual server
17914 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
17915 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
17916 whole is a virtual server.
17920 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
17921 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
17924 @item ephemeral groups
17925 @cindex ephemeral groups
17926 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
17927 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
17928 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
17931 @cindex solid groups
17932 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
17933 group buffer are solid groups.
17935 @item sparse articles
17936 @cindex sparse articles
17937 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
17938 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
17942 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
17943 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
17947 @cindex thread root
17948 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
17949 articles in the thread.
17953 An article that has responses.
17957 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
17961 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
17962 specified by RFC1153.
17968 @node Customization
17969 @section Customization
17970 @cindex general customization
17972 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
17973 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
17974 for some quite common situations.
17977 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
17978 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
17979 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
17980 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
17984 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
17985 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
17987 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
17988 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
17989 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
17993 @item gnus-read-active-file
17994 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
17995 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
17996 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
17997 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
17998 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
18000 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
18001 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
18002 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
18003 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
18007 @node Slow Terminal Connection
18008 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
18010 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
18011 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
18012 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
18016 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
18017 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
18018 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
18019 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
18020 horizontal and vertical recentering.
18022 @item gnus-visible-headers
18023 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
18024 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
18025 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
18026 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
18028 @item gnus-article-display-hook
18029 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
18031 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
18032 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
18033 gnus-article-hide-citation))
18036 @item gnus-use-full-window
18037 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
18038 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
18039 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
18040 want to read them anyway.
18042 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
18043 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
18046 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
18047 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
18048 lines, which might save some time.
18052 @node Little Disk Space
18053 @subsection Little Disk Space
18056 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
18057 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
18061 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
18062 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
18063 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
18064 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18067 @item gnus-save-killed-list
18068 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
18069 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
18070 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
18071 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
18077 @subsection Slow Machine
18078 @cindex slow machine
18080 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
18081 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
18083 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
18084 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
18086 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
18087 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
18088 summary buffer faster.
18090 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
18091 processing a bit faster.
18095 @node Troubleshooting
18096 @section Troubleshooting
18097 @cindex troubleshooting
18099 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
18107 Make sure your computer is switched on.
18110 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
18111 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
18115 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
18116 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
18117 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
18118 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
18121 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
18125 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
18126 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
18127 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
18128 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
18129 something like that.
18132 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
18135 @cindex reporting bugs
18137 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18139 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
18140 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
18141 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
18142 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
18144 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
18145 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
18146 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
18147 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
18150 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
18151 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
18152 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
18153 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
18154 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
18155 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
18157 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
18158 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
18159 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
18162 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
18163 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
18165 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
18166 @cindex ding mailing list
18167 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
18168 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
18172 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
18173 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
18175 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
18176 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
18177 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
18178 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
18181 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
18182 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
18183 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
18184 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
18185 and general methods of operation.
18188 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
18189 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
18190 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
18191 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
18192 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
18193 * Group Info:: The group info format.
18194 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
18195 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
18196 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
18200 @node Gnus Utility Functions
18201 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
18202 @cindex Gnus utility functions
18203 @cindex utility functions
18205 @cindex internal variables
18207 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
18208 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
18209 Below is a list of the most common ones.
18213 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
18214 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
18215 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
18217 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
18218 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
18219 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
18221 @item gnus-group-real-name
18222 @findex gnus-group-real-name
18223 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
18226 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
18227 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
18228 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
18229 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
18231 @item gnus-get-info
18232 @findex gnus-get-info
18233 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
18235 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
18236 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
18237 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
18240 @item gnus-continuum-version
18241 @findex gnus-continuum-version
18242 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
18243 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
18246 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
18247 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
18248 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
18250 @item gnus-news-group-p
18251 @findex gnus-news-group-p
18252 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
18254 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
18255 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
18256 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
18258 @item gnus-server-to-method
18259 @findex gnus-server-to-method
18260 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
18262 @item gnus-server-equal
18263 @findex gnus-server-equal
18264 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
18266 @item gnus-group-native-p
18267 @findex gnus-group-native-p
18268 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
18270 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
18271 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
18272 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
18274 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
18275 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
18276 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
18278 @item group-group-find-parameter
18279 @findex group-group-find-parameter
18280 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
18281 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
18283 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
18284 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
18285 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
18287 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
18288 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
18289 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
18291 @item gnus-check-backend-function
18292 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
18293 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
18294 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
18297 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
18301 @item gnus-read-method
18302 @findex gnus-read-method
18303 Prompts the user for a select method.
18308 @node Backend Interface
18309 @subsection Backend Interface
18311 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
18312 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
18313 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
18314 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
18315 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
18316 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
18318 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
18319 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
18320 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
18321 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
18322 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
18323 been opened, the function should fail.
18325 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
18326 name. Take this example:
18330 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
18331 (nntp-port-number 4324))
18334 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
18335 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
18337 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
18338 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
18339 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
18341 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
18342 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
18343 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
18345 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
18346 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
18347 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
18348 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
18349 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
18350 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
18353 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
18354 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
18355 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
18356 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
18359 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
18362 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
18365 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
18366 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
18367 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
18368 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
18369 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
18370 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
18374 @node Required Backend Functions
18375 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
18379 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
18381 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
18382 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
18383 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
18384 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
18386 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
18387 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
18388 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
18389 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
18391 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
18392 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
18393 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
18394 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
18395 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
18396 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
18397 number, do maximum fetches.
18399 Here's an example HEAD:
18402 221 1056 Article retrieved.
18403 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
18404 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
18405 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
18406 Subject: Re: Something very droll
18407 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
18408 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
18410 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
18411 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
18412 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
18416 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
18417 these in the data buffer.
18419 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
18423 head = error / valid-head
18424 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
18425 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
18426 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
18427 header = <text> eol
18430 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
18431 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
18435 nov-buffer = *nov-line
18436 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
18437 field = <text except TAB>
18440 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
18444 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
18446 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
18447 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
18449 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
18450 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
18451 server. In fact, it should do so.
18453 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
18454 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
18457 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
18459 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
18460 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
18463 There should be no data returned.
18466 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
18468 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
18469 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
18470 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
18471 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
18473 There should be no data returned.
18476 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
18478 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
18479 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
18480 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
18481 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
18483 There should be no data returned.
18486 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
18488 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
18490 There should be no data returned.
18493 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
18495 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
18496 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
18497 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
18498 it would be nice if that were possible.
18500 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
18501 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
18502 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
18503 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
18504 into its article buffer.
18506 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
18507 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
18508 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
18509 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
18510 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
18511 on successful article retrieval.
18514 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
18516 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
18517 making @var{group} the current group.
18519 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
18522 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
18525 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
18528 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
18529 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
18530 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
18531 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
18532 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
18533 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
18534 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
18535 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
18538 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
18539 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
18540 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
18544 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
18546 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
18547 a no-op on most backends.
18549 There should be no data returned.
18552 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
18554 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
18557 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
18560 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
18561 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
18564 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
18565 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
18568 active-file = *active-line
18569 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
18571 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
18574 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
18575 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
18576 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
18579 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
18581 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
18582 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
18583 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
18584 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
18585 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
18586 clear if the posting could not be completed.
18588 There should be no result data from this function.
18593 @node Optional Backend Functions
18594 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
18598 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
18600 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
18601 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
18602 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
18604 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
18605 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
18606 former is in the same format as the data from
18607 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
18608 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
18611 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
18615 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
18617 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
18618 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
18619 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
18620 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
18621 should return the (altered) group info.
18623 There should be no result data from this function.
18626 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
18628 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
18629 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
18630 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
18631 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
18632 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
18633 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
18634 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
18635 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
18637 There should be no result data from this function.
18640 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
18642 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
18643 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
18644 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
18645 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
18646 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
18648 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
18649 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
18650 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
18653 There should be no result data from this function.
18656 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
18658 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
18659 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
18660 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
18661 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
18662 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
18663 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
18664 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
18666 There should be no result data from this function.
18669 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
18671 The result data from this function should be a description of
18675 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
18677 description = <text>
18680 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
18682 The result data from this function should be the description of all
18683 groups available on the server.
18686 description-buffer = *description-line
18690 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
18692 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
18693 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
18694 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
18697 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
18699 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
18701 There should be no return data.
18704 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
18706 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
18707 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
18708 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
18709 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
18710 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
18713 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
18716 There should be no result data returned.
18719 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
18722 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
18723 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
18725 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
18726 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
18727 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
18728 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
18729 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
18730 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
18732 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
18733 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
18736 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
18737 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
18739 There should be no data returned.
18742 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
18744 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
18745 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
18746 this function in short order.
18748 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
18749 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
18751 There should be no data returned.
18754 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
18756 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
18757 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
18759 There should be no data returned.
18762 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
18764 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
18765 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
18766 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
18768 There should be no data returned.
18771 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
18773 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
18774 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
18776 There should be no data returned.
18781 @node Error Messaging
18782 @subsubsection Error Messaging
18784 @findex nnheader-report
18785 @findex nnheader-get-report
18786 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
18787 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
18788 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
18789 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
18790 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
18791 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
18794 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
18796 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
18799 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
18800 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
18801 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
18802 takes one argument---the server symbol.
18804 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
18805 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
18806 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
18809 @node Writing New Backends
18810 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
18812 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
18813 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
18814 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
18815 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
18816 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
18819 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
18820 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
18821 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
18823 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
18824 package called @code{nnoo}.
18826 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
18827 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
18833 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
18834 parameters. For instance:
18837 (nnoo-declare nndir
18841 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
18842 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
18845 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
18846 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
18847 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
18849 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
18850 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
18851 a function in those backends.
18854 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
18855 "Where nndir will look for groups."
18856 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
18859 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
18860 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
18861 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
18863 @item nnoo-define-basics
18864 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
18868 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
18872 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
18873 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
18874 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
18876 @item nnoo-map-functions
18877 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
18878 functions from the parent backends.
18881 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
18882 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18883 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
18886 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
18887 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
18888 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
18889 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
18892 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
18893 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
18894 haven't already been defined.
18900 nnmh-request-newgroups)
18904 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
18905 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
18906 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
18911 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
18914 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
18915 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
18919 (require 'nnheader)
18923 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
18925 (nnoo-declare nndir
18928 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
18929 "Where nndir will look for groups."
18930 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
18932 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
18933 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
18936 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
18937 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
18938 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
18940 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
18941 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
18943 ;;; Interface functions.
18945 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
18947 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
18948 (setq nndir-directory
18949 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
18951 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
18952 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
18953 (push `(nndir-current-group
18954 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
18956 (push `(nndir-top-directory
18957 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
18959 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
18961 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
18962 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18963 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
18964 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
18965 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
18969 nnmh-status-message
18971 nnmh-request-newgroups))
18977 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
18978 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
18980 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
18981 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
18982 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
18983 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
18985 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
18986 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
18991 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
18994 The abilities can be:
18998 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
19000 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
19002 This backend supports both mail and news.
19004 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
19007 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
19008 articles and groups.
19010 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
19011 true for almost all backends.
19012 @item prompt-address
19013 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
19014 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
19015 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
19019 @node Mail-like Backends
19020 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
19022 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
19023 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
19024 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
19025 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
19028 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
19029 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
19030 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
19033 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
19034 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
19037 This function takes four parameters.
19041 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
19044 @item exit-function
19045 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
19047 @item temp-directory
19048 Where the temporary files should be stored.
19051 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
19052 performed for one group only.
19055 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
19056 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
19057 find the article number assigned to this article.
19059 The function also uses the following variables:
19060 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
19061 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
19062 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
19063 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
19067 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
19068 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
19072 @node Score File Syntax
19073 @subsection Score File Syntax
19075 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
19076 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
19077 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
19079 Here's a typical score file:
19083 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
19090 BNF definition of a score file:
19093 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
19094 element = rule / atom
19095 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
19096 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
19097 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
19098 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
19100 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
19101 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
19102 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
19103 date-header = "date"
19104 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19105 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19106 score = "nil" / <integer>
19107 date = "nil" / <natural number>
19108 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
19109 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
19110 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
19111 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
19112 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19113 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19114 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
19115 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19116 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
19117 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
19118 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
19119 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
19120 exclude-files / read-only / touched
19121 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
19122 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
19123 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
19124 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
19125 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
19126 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
19127 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
19128 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
19129 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
19130 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
19131 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
19132 eval = "eval" space <form>
19133 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
19136 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
19139 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
19140 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
19141 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
19142 one looong line, then that's ok.
19144 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
19145 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19149 @subsection Headers
19151 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
19152 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
19153 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
19154 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
19156 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
19157 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
19158 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
19159 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
19160 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
19161 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
19162 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
19164 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
19165 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
19166 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
19167 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
19168 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
19170 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
19177 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
19178 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
19180 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
19181 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
19182 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
19183 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
19185 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
19189 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
19192 is transformed into
19195 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
19198 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
19199 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
19202 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
19205 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
19206 is slightly tricky:
19209 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
19215 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
19218 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
19224 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
19231 and is equal to the previous range.
19233 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
19234 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
19235 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
19239 range = simple-range / normal-range
19240 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
19241 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
19242 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
19243 number *[ " " contents ]
19246 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
19247 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
19248 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
19249 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
19250 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
19255 @subsection Group Info
19257 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
19258 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
19259 describes the group.
19261 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
19262 second is a more complex one:
19265 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
19267 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
19268 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
19270 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
19273 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
19274 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
19275 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
19276 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
19277 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
19278 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
19279 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
19280 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
19281 this section is about.
19283 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
19284 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
19285 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
19287 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
19290 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
19291 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
19292 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19293 group = quote <string> quote
19294 ralevel = rank / level
19295 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
19296 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
19297 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
19299 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
19300 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
19301 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
19302 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
19305 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
19306 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
19309 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
19310 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
19313 @item gnus-info-group
19314 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
19315 @findex gnus-info-group
19316 @findex gnus-info-set-group
19317 Get/set the group name.
19319 @item gnus-info-rank
19320 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
19321 @findex gnus-info-rank
19322 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
19323 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
19325 @item gnus-info-level
19326 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
19327 @findex gnus-info-level
19328 @findex gnus-info-set-level
19329 Get/set the group level.
19331 @item gnus-info-score
19332 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
19333 @findex gnus-info-score
19334 @findex gnus-info-set-score
19335 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
19337 @item gnus-info-read
19338 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
19339 @findex gnus-info-read
19340 @findex gnus-info-set-read
19341 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
19343 @item gnus-info-marks
19344 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
19345 @findex gnus-info-marks
19346 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
19347 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
19349 @item gnus-info-method
19350 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
19351 @findex gnus-info-method
19352 @findex gnus-info-set-method
19353 Get/set the group select method.
19355 @item gnus-info-params
19356 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
19357 @findex gnus-info-params
19358 @findex gnus-info-set-params
19359 Get/set the group parameters.
19362 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
19363 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
19365 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
19366 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
19367 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
19368 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
19371 @node Extended Interactive
19372 @subsection Extended Interactive
19373 @cindex interactive
19374 @findex gnus-interactive
19376 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
19377 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
19378 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
19381 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
19382 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
19387 The best thing to do would have been to implement
19388 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
19389 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
19390 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
19391 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
19392 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
19393 @code{interactive}.
19395 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
19400 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
19401 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
19405 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
19406 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
19407 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
19410 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
19414 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
19418 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
19424 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
19425 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
19429 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
19430 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
19431 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
19433 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
19434 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
19435 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
19436 Gnus, that's very useful.
19438 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
19439 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
19440 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
19441 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
19442 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
19443 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
19444 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
19445 following function:
19448 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
19452 (,function ,@@args))
19456 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
19457 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
19458 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
19461 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
19462 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
19463 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
19465 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
19466 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
19467 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
19470 @node Various File Formats
19471 @subsection Various File Formats
19474 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
19475 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
19479 @node Active File Format
19480 @subsubsection Active File Format
19482 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
19483 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
19486 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
19489 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
19490 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
19491 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
19492 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
19493 no.general 1000 900 y
19496 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
19499 active = *group-line
19500 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
19501 group = <non-white-space string>
19503 high-number = <non-negative integer>
19504 low-number = <positive integer>
19505 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
19508 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
19509 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
19512 @node Newsgroups File Format
19513 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
19515 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
19516 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
19517 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
19520 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
19521 Here's the definition:
19525 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
19526 group = <non-white-space string>
19528 description = <string>
19533 @node Emacs for Heathens
19534 @section Emacs for Heathens
19536 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
19537 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
19538 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
19539 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
19540 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
19541 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
19542 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
19546 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
19547 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
19552 @subsection Keystrokes
19556 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
19559 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
19562 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
19563 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
19564 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
19565 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
19566 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
19567 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
19569 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
19570 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
19571 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
19572 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
19573 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
19574 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
19575 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
19577 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
19578 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
19579 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
19580 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
19581 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
19582 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
19583 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
19585 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
19586 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
19587 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
19588 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
19589 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
19595 @subsection Emacs Lisp
19597 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
19598 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
19599 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
19600 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
19602 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
19603 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
19604 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
19605 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
19606 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
19607 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
19608 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
19611 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
19612 write the following:
19615 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
19618 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
19619 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
19620 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
19623 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
19624 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
19625 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
19626 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
19627 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
19629 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
19630 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
19631 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
19635 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
19639 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
19642 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
19643 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
19646 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
19649 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
19650 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
19653 @include gnus-faq.texi